Plasma-sprayed coatings

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Scientific American; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0988-112· OSTI ID:6966003

Herman, H

Plasma spraying is one way to apply protective coatings. The hot, high-speed flame of a plasma gun can melt a powder of almost any ceramic or metal and spray it to form a coating for protection against corrosion, wear or high temperature. The technique carries much less risk of degrading the coating and substrate than many other high-temperature processes do, because the gas in the plasma flame is chemically inert and the target can be kept fairly cool. And yet a plasma gun can be only a little more cumbersome than a paint sprayer. Investigators are applying this technique to new materials. The General Electric Company is using vacuum plasma spraying to make freestanding components: intricate aircraft engine parts formed by plasma-spraying a superalloy on a removable substrate. Other workers spray ceramic particles or fibers and metal powder simulatious wrong, stiff composite materials: the ceramic particles dispersed in a matrix of metal. The author and colleagues at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory have fabricated a thick film of high-temperature superconductor by plasma-spraying the compound in the form of a powder. 7 figs.

• OSTI ID: 6966003
• Journal Information: Scientific American; (USA), Vol. 259:3; ISSN 0036-8733
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
PROTECTIVE COATINGS
PLASMA ARC SPRAYING
SPRAYED COATINGS
AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CERAMICS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
DEPOSITION
DESIGN
ENGINES
FABRICATION
METALS
PLASMA GUNS
POLYMERS
SOLIDIFICATION
SUBSTRATES
SUPERCONDUCTING FILMS
SURFACES
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
COATINGS
ELEMENTS
FILMS
MATERIALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SPRAY COATING
SURFACE COATING
360101* - Metals & Alloys- Preparation & Fabrication
360201 - Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories- Preparation & Fabrication
360601 - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture