What Is Plasma Spraying?
Plasma spraying is a thermal spray coating process which involves the melting of coating materials that are then sprayed over the substrate (or item) that requires coating. There is a range of parameters that can be controlled in this process, including feed-rate, flow rate and gas composition. This means that the coating can be tweaked to meet specific individual requirements
Both the size and particle size distribution of the powders used have a significant impact on the efficiency and density of the coating.
Why Use Plasma Spraying?
A plasma spray coating offers:
– Corrosion protection
– Wear resistance
– Heat and oxidation resistance
– Clearance control – abrasives and abradables
– Electrical resistance and conductivity
Where Is It Used?
Plasma spraying is used across a number of industries, including:
– Aerospace
– Marine engineering
– Mechanical engineering
– Biomedical
– Iron and steel and glassware
– Chemicals and nuclear
– Household appliances
– Agriculture
– Electronics
– Automotive engineering
What Is Plasma Spraying Used For?
Due to its excellent characteristics mentioned above, plasma spraying is used by many technologists. Some uses include:
– Thermal barrier coatings for gas turbine combustion hardware
– Spraying on to printing rolls (for laser engraving)
– To coat diesel engine piston rings
– To coat medical and dental implants
What Are the Benefits of Plasma Spraying?
There are a number of key benefits, including:
– The wide range of coating materials that can be used – metals, ceramics, alloys
– The wide range of materials that it can be applied to – plastics, glass, metals, ceramics
– The wide range of particle sizes that can be used – between 5 and 100µm
– The protective barrier that it provides – boosting durability, resistance and insulation
To find out more about the benefits of plasma spray, why not take a look at the website of a specialist today?
Any Disadvantages?
There are really only two main downsides to plasma spraying. One is the expense associated with the specialist equipment needed (although you can often subcontract this process out to specialists who will have that equipment already).
If you do opt to purchase the equipment yourself, it is worth bearing in mind that various components will need to be replaced fairly regularly (due to wear from exposure to high temperatures). Keep reading types of engineering.
