6 Popular Plasma Spray Coating Materials
One of the greatest things about custom plasma spray coatings is that you have a wide range of plasma spray coating materials to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular plasma spray coating materials:
Plasma Alumina-Titania
When less porosity is required…
Plasma Alumina-Titania is sprayed on ceramics to make them resistant to most of the alkali materials, acids, heat and wear, and also to give them an exotic finish. Plasma spray coating materials like Alumina-Titania show minimum signs of pores since the bond strength is very dense and gives a sublime finish to the finished product.
Plasma Aluminum-Graphite Composite
When time rather than temperature causes damage…
Plasma Aluminum-Graphite Composite is specially designed to provide coatings for turbine engines operating on gas as well as aluminum and titanium alloys. The rate of growth of this plasma spray coating material is a parabola and precipitates as time ages rather than being dependent upon temperature. Even though the hardness is reduced due to time, it does not affect this plasma spray coating.
For preparation of the materials’ surface, it is essential to preheat the material and blasting by grit needs to be done. In addition, your choice of finish should always include with the use of a carbide tool with a single point. Grinding normally generates heat and pressure which may cause the coating to be compressed and also its properties to be altered.
Plasma Aluminum-Polyester
When coating calls for highly abradable substances…
Plasma Aluminum-Polyester is a fusion of powders of polyester and silicon-aluminum specially designed for control of clearance of elements of machines. When aircraft engines were tested in field operations, the tests confirmed that Plasma Aluminum-Polyester was a highly abradable substance with no visible signs of wear and tear around the blades and had exceptional resistance to thermal shock and oxidation.
The use of a sharp pointed steel tool bit, which operates at a fast rate of travesty and speed, will help you achieve the highest class of finish. It is also recommended that the surface is cleaned prior to plasma spraying of the material.
Plasma Chromium Carbide
When thin surfaces need to be coated…
Plasma Chromium Carbide is a blend of powders, including nickel chromium and crystals of chromium carbide. They are often used to produce coats where resistance to moisture, fretting and hard surfaces are needed. It can also be applied as an abrasive coat for applications used to control clearance in elements of machines.
Plasma Sprayed Chromium Carbide coatings are specifically developed to be used in coats which are thin, for if used for thick coatings there is a high probability of it developing cracks as is usual with all fine powders. Oxides on the surface need to be cleaned prior to preheating and spraying the titanium. Use of standard techniques of wet grinding by carbide of green silicon or diamond is made to obtain a smooth finish.
Plasma Chromium Oxide
When coatings are required for hard, dense surfaces…
Plasma Chromium Oxide is sprayed in production of wear, hard, dense resistant coats. These coats have superb anti-galling and self-mating characteristics and are highly recommended because it resists wear and tear by hard surfaces, abrasive grains and particle erosions. These coats are only not soluble in alcohol, alkalis or even acids but can be used in the textile industry where any element of machine may be in contact with threads or fibers.
Plasma Chromium Oxide-Silica is a spray material developed for production of coats which are dense, hard and resistant to wear in the extreme. This plasma material is the supremely durable coating which also is resistant to impact with the silicon dioxide acting to dampen the impact thus preventing loosening of the grains which further increases resistant to wear.
Since these coatings have extreme anti-galling and self-mating characteristics and are not soluble in alkalis or acids or alcohol, they are mostly used in environments prone to corrosion by chemicals. They are commonly used in applications for petrochemical industry like plungers, gas and air cylinders’ IDs, seals for centrifugal pumps, and also seal used for applications of mechanical elements mainly in the textile industry.
Plasma Molybdenum-Nickel-Aluminum
When general purpose plasma spray coatsare required…
Plasma Molybdenum-Nickel-Aluminum is a powder specifically designed for general purposes in the production of hard coats required for various applications. Two key benefits of this coat are ‘One-Step’ and ‘High-Integrity’ coats. ‘One-Step’ offers less dependence on techniques and requirement of undercutting which causes minimum errors. This coating also does away with the requirement of an additional bonding coat and eliminates changing of spraying materials.
There is no restriction of thickness of material to be coated and can be applied to all cleaned substances. These coatings are ideally finished with grinding by wheels of silicon carbide or aluminum oxide and can be machined as well.
Plasma Nano Alumina-Titania is used for coatings on surfaces which are extremely resistant to wear and require a high grade finish. This plasma spray coating material has minimum porosity and is extremely dense and also resistant to most of the alkali and acidic substances. Other coats of ceramics absorb aqueous solutions but these coatings are resistant to the same solutions. Such coats are predominantly used in thin coats since thicker coats may cause delamination and cracks as in all fine grade powders.
