The global market for thermal spray coatings is projected to reach $15.10 billion by 2026. That’s a CAGR of 7.2% from 2017 till then.
Thermal spray systems are popular because of their efficiency. They are used to improve the surfaces of athermal-spraying materials. This process helps restore such surfaces to their best.
Thermal spray coating is widely applied to boost the quality of the finished work. The technology also helps extend the lifespan of various industrial equipment.
Plasma spray coating is one of the most preferred processes of thermal spray coating. Today, we’ll discuss all you need to know about plasma coating; its definition, process, applications, and benefits. We’ll also touch on some of the materials used in plasma spray coating.
Keep on reading to learn more.
What Is Plasma Spray Coating?
Plasma spray coating refers to a thermal spray coating process. It combines high temperatures, a high energy source, an inert spraying medium, and high particle velocity. The result of the process is a top-quality coating.
The term plasma refers to gas that’s been heated to such high temperatures that it becomes ionized and electrically conductive. Plasma gas includes argon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and helium.
Read more about the plasma spray process below.
The Process of Plasma Spray Coating
As we mentioned before, plasma spray involves the spraying of heat-softened or molten material on to a solid material to provide the desired coating. The process starts by injecting material in powder-form into an exceedingly hot plasma flame. The material gets rapidly heated and then accelerated to a very high velocity.
When ejected onto the surface of the substrate, the molten material cools rapidly, forming a coating. The temperature of the substrate material is kept low throughout the spraying process to avert any damage, distortion, or metallurgical changes.
Plasma Spray Materials
Plasma coatings come in a variety of materials, each with its desirable qualities. In this section, we look at four of the most popular plasma spray materials.
Aluminum-Polyester
This material is a combination of polyester and silicon-aluminum powders. The coating offers robust impact resistance as well as excellent internal strength. Aluminum-polyester spray material is designed for machine element clearance control.
Alumina-Titania Ceramic
Perhaps you’ve heard that plasma spray coatings are widely applied in the marine industry to reduce wear and corrosion catalyzed by seawater. Well, the material used for this application is Alumina-Titania ceramic, thanks to its ability to resist corrosion. The spray material also has stellar non-conductive properties and is thus perfect where you need to eliminate conductivity.
Chromium Oxide Ceramic
Few plasma spray materials have better anti-galling, corrosion-resistant, and self-mating properties than chromium oxide ceramic. The coating also performs exceptionally well when applied on parts prone to cavitation and particle erosion.
Tungsten Carbide
Tungsten carbide is a blend of top-grade tungsten carbide-cobalt powder and other materials. Because this coating is incredibly tough and wear-resistant, it’s highly sought after.
Applications of Plasma Spray Coating
Plasma spray coatings have a wide range of applications. Below are just a few of them:
Cathodic Coating
Here, a metal coating that’s cathodic to the base is applied on a surface to make it more resistant to corrosion. A good example is when you spray a nickel alloy onto a steel surface. The resulting coating is a remarkably robust, protective barrier.
Resurfacing
For a long time, plasma spray coating has been widely accepted as an excellent way to surface a wide variety of metal parts in industries and vehicles. The coating can significantly increase the lifespan of components and enhance their engineering performance. Worn or corroded parts such as printing rolls and bearings can also benefit from resurfacing.
Dielectric Coating
Ceramic dielectric coating is widely applied in electronic packaging, aerospace, and automotive industries. The coating usually consists of pure aluminum oxide.
The coating is usually sprayed at an incredibly high density, allowing it to withstand a massive number of electric volts. This is especially important for industries that regularly involve considerable levels of live electricity.
Medical Implants
Over the years, thermal spray coatings have been increasingly used in a variety of medical implants. Today, titanium and hydroxyapatite coatings are widely applied in biomedical implants through plasma spray technology.
Benefits of Plasma Spray Coatings
The biggest reason for the popularity of plasma spray coatings is that they come with lots of benefits. Let’s look at some of them:
There Are Many Coating Materials to Choose From
When you opt for plasma spray coating, you get a wide range of quality coatings that can suit your needs and budget. The majority of spray materials come in powder form. These materials include metals, alloys, and ceramics.
Coating Can Be Applied on a Variety of Substrate Materials
There’s almost no end to the different types of substrate materials that you can coat through plasma spraying. Metals, plastics, ceramics, and glass are just some of them.
Plasma Spraying Can Use a Variety of Powder Particle Sizes
Unlike many other processes of thermal spraying coating, plasma spraying works perfectly with powder particles of all sizes, from 5 µm to 100µm.
The Process Can Dramatically Increase the Lifespan of a Substrate
The primary goal of applying plasma coatings is to provide a protective barrier to the substrate. This ensures that the surface of the material is insulated, controlled, and has a high resistance, which increases the lifespan of the material.
Plasma Spray Coating Is the Way to Go
In recent years, plasma spray coating has emerged as the thermal process of choice in industries around the world. It’s easy to see why this innovative technology continues to enjoy unprecedented growth. Its effectiveness, versatility, and economics have earned it a central spot in manufacturing environments everywhere.
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