Application Spotlight: Corrosion Protection
Corrosion is the result of metal oxidation as well as the degradation of materials by chemical reaction. The environment in which the material resides also plays a major part in the process. For corrosion to happen, the process requires four elements which is a metallic path, an electrolyte, cathode, and anode. Also, it is important to note that metals have a tendency to return to their natural state. And this natural process produces either oxides or salt. In most cases, the corrosive attack on your material may be general uniform corrosion or localized corrosion. The former constitutes about 30% of recorded failures while the latter constitutes about 70% of recorded failures.
Other Types of Corrosion that Exist
Metal corrosion is truly the mastermind behind many types of metal destruction and should be prevented from happening at all costs. To boost your knowledge on corrosion, here is a quick look at the different types of corrosion that exist:
- Fretting corrosion
- Erosion corrosion
- Filiform corrosion
- Crevice corrosion
- Intergranular corrosion
- Corrosion fatigue
- Stress corrosion cracking
- Pitting corrosion
- Galvanic corrosion
Thermal Spray Coatings to the Rescue
In order to provide protection against corrosion and wear, researchers and thermal spray coating experts have developed coatings to protect the base material from physical and chemical interaction with its immediate environment. Common alloys such as zinc, aluminum, and other aluminum-metal composites are applied to components’ surfaces to protect them from corrosion. Also, the aforementioned alloys are adequate atmospheric corrosion resistance.
Today, the thermal spray coating industry has experienced many great advances made in the niche of coating materials. For example, the micro-crack free HVOF tungsten carbide coatings are now widely opted for. This process also serves as an awesome alternative to hard chrome plating. What’s more, they can also be used to coat surfaces to protect against high temperature corrosion.
Common Thermal Spray Coating Applications for Corrosion Protection
For starters, thermal spray coatings can be applied to large steel structures such as oil tanks, pipelines, bridges, and more, as sacrificial coatings. Seaports, offshore platforms, and ships that are constantly exposed to seawater and moist atmospheres also benefit greatly from these coatings. Applying the right metals at this juncture is highly important; there are acidic and alkaline conditions. For the former, aluminum outperforms zinc while it is the opposite for the latter. If you are coating materials for protection against corrosion that is associated with wear, you should opt for nickel-base alloys, aluminum bronze, super-alloys or austenitic stainless steel instead.
Other industries that require thermal spray coatings include:
- Paper and pulp industry
- Metal processing industry
- Power generation and turbine industry
- Aerospace industry
- Chemical industry
All in all, it is easily observed that thermally sprayed coatings are extensively used in a vast number of industries for the corrosion protection of surfaces. At A&A Coatings, we can apply thermal spray coatings to surfaces for increased corrosion protection in various environments, including aggressive high temperature and mild atmospheric environments. Contact us today to find out more about our thermal spray coatings for corrosion protection.
