Thermal spray material

A thermal spray material comprising:

• granules containing a rare earth oxyfluoride and a rare earth fluoride,
• the thermal spray material having
• a cumulative volume particle diameter of 1 to 150 μm at a cumulative volume of 50 vol % before ultrasonic dispersion at 300 W for 15 minutes,
• wherein the cumulative volume particle diameter is 10 μm or smaller, after the ultrasonic dispersion at 300 W for 15 minutes, as determined by laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution analysis,
• the cumulative volume particle diameter of the thermal spray material, after the ultrasonic dispersion at 300 W for 15 minutes, being one-third or less of the cumulative volume particle diameter of the thermal spray material before the ultrasonic dispersion at 300 W for 15 minutes,
• the thermal spray material having an average aspect ratio of 2.0 or lower before the ultrasonic dispersion at 300 W for 15 minutes,
• the thermal spray material having a compressibility of 30% or less before the ultrasonic dispersion at 300 W for 15 minutes, and
• the thermal spray material having a fracture strength of 0.3 MPa to less than 10 MPa before the ultrasonic dispersion at 300 W for 15 minutes,
• wherein, before the ultrasonic dispersion at 300 W for 15 minutes, upon being analyzed by X-ray diffractometry using Cu-Kα or Cu-Kα1 radiation, the thermal spray material has an S0 to S1 ratio of 0.10 or smaller, the S0 being an intensity of a maximum peak assigned to a rare earth oxide, and the S1 being an intensity of a maximum peak assigned to the rare earth oxyfluoride, both observed in a 2θ angle range of from 20° to 40°.