All You Need To Know About Oxide Powders
Thermal sprayed oxide powders form coatings that are wear resistant and hard. So hard, in fact, that, even at extreme temperatures, they are capable of protecting numerous parts. But wait, there’s more! They can provide electrical insulation as well as thermal insulation.
There are number of thermal spray oxide powders. These include the following:
- Al203 or aluminum oxide
- Cr203 or chromium oxide
- Ti02 or titanium oxide
- Zr02 or zirconium oxide
Zirconium Oxide
Exceptionally resistant to high temperatures are oxides containing yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide. These oxides are extremely well-suited for certain applications, such as industrial and aviation combustion engines and gas turbines.
Aluminum Oxide
Aluminum Oxide
The coating produced by aluminum oxide is electrically insulating, wear resistant, and hard. Applications in which aluminum oxide is used include the following:
- Household appliances
- Textile machine thread guides
- Paper manufacturing press rolls
- Ink ductors
- Print rolls
Titanium Oxide
The coating produced by aluminum oxide is electrically insulating, wear resistant, and hard. Applications in which aluminum oxide is used include the following:
Used as a bright white pigment and a naturally occurring element, titanium oxide has been in use for a century. A range of consumer products and industrial settings make use of titanium oxide, including the following:
- Catalysts
- Sunscreen
- Water treatment agents
- Soap
- Automotive products
- Pharmaceuticals
- Toothpaste
- Cosmetics
- Roofing materials
- Food colorants
- Floor coverings
- Ceramics
- Coated textiles and fabrics
- Printing inks
- Adhesives
- Coatings
- Rubber and plastics
- Paper
- Paints
Chromium Oxide
An extremely wear resistant, hard coating is produced with chromium oxide. The coating is insoluble in alcohol and in acids. It is suited for the following:
- Rollers used in the printing industry
- Roller bearing rings used in the printing industry
- Components used in the textile industry
- End face mechanical seals in mechanical engineering
Are There Other Powders?
You may have heard of iron oxide powder. There is both black and red iron oxide. Occurring as a solid black powder, black iron oxide differs from the red-brown solid known as red iron oxide. Iron oxide powders are used as catalysts, pigments, and iron ores. They occur in hemoglobin and are also used in thermite. They are durable, inexpensive pigments in colored concretes, coatings, and in paints.
Naturally occurring in the mineral zincite, the white, odorless powder known as zinc oxide is non-comedogenic, nonallergic, and non-irritating. As early as first century A.D., it was used by the Romans to make brass. It was finally recognized as a metal in the 14th century in India. It is said to be effective as a treatment for sore eyes. In 1789, it was, at last, listed as an element on the periodic table by Antoine Lavoisier.
There are also metallic powder selections used for surface treatment. These consist of the following:
- Aluminum-based – High quality, unbreakable material usable up to 600°F in some cases
- Iron based – Good for use against cavitation, erosion, and fretting
- Copper-based – Used primarily for repair applications and brazing applications
- Molybdenum based – High wear resistance, natural lubricity, and high hardness
- Nickel-based – Great erosion resistance and excellent high temperature performance
A&A Coatings uses powders of all kinds for their thermal spray coatings. These coatings are used for a variety of end results, the most common of them being for protection against volatile environments. Today’s thermal spray market uses more powders than ever before, and new applications are being discovered as you read this. Contact us to see how we can use protective coatings to save your company time and money.
