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Thermal Spraying What is Thermal Spraying

 

The fundamental principles of all thermal spraying processes are similar. A powder or wire is fed through a spray pistol, heated until molten or soft, and projected at speed onto a substrate to form a coating. Coating materials include metals, alloys, ceramics, plastics, cermets (metal and ceramic constituents) and special structures comprising combinations of the above. Ceramics are non-metallic materials like aluminum oxide (Al2O3) also called alumina and tungsten carbide (TC). The bond between a sprayed coating and the substrate is primarily mechanical, not metallurgical or fused. The substrate surface must be clean and normally roughened by grit blasting or machining prior to spraying. Coatings like molybdenum and tungsten can bond to clean polished substrates. The big advantage of thermal spray coatings is that the coating can provide the surface properties and the substrate material can be chosen from requirements like strength and costs without the need to consider it's surface properties. Thermal spraying is also used for reclamation processes

 

Thermal Spray Benefits:

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• Extend the service life of high performance industrial

• components through enhanced resistance to  to abrasion,

• wear and heat corrosion.

• Restoration of worn components to precise original dimensions

• Increased wear resistance resulting from erosion, abrasion

• and sliding

• Increased resistance to cavitation

• Increased resistance to chemicals and corrosion

• Increased resistance to high temperatures and oxidation

• Increased traction

Virtually any material that can be produced in wire or powder form

can be processed into a protective coating. This includes: pure metal

and alloy coatings such as, chrome, stainless steel, zinc as well as

ceramics and ceramic metal composites such as tungsten carbide or

chrome carbide.