Plasma-sprayed WC-Co coatings are used extensively in a variety of wear-resistant applications. The quality of these sprayed coatings depends greatly on the temperature and velocity of the powder particles impacting the substrate. Because it is both expensive and difficult to experimentally determine these particle parameters, the present study deals with a theoretical investigation of particle heatup and acceleration during plasma spraying of WC-Co based on a recently developed model. The effect of WC-Co particle size on the evolution of particle temperature and velocity is examined through calculations performed under typical spraying conditions. The implications of the powder particles, assuming an off-axis trajectory during their traverse through the plasma flame, are also discussed. © 1993 ASM International.