Thermal sprayed coatings are extremely effective in increasing component life and value, decreasing machinery down-time, and improving performance in a wide variety of applications.
Thermal spraying techniques are coating processes in which melted (or heated) materials are sprayed onto a surface. The "feedstock" (coating precursor) is heated by electrical (plasma or arc) or chemical means (combustion flame).
Thermal spraying can provide thick coatings (approx. thickness range is 20 micrometers to several mm, depending on the process and feedstock), over a large area at high deposition rate as compared to other coating processes such as electroplating, physical and chemical vapor deposition. Coating materials available for thermal spraying include metals, alloys, ceramics, plastics and composites. They are fed in powder or wire form, heated to a molten or semi-molten state and accelerated towards substrates in the form of micrometer-size particles. Combustion or electrical arc discharge is usually used as the source of energy for thermal spraying. Resulting coatings are made by the accumulation of numerous sprayed particles. The surface may not heat up significantly, allowing the coating of flammable substances.
Coating quality is usually assessed by measuring its porosity, oxide content, macro and micro-hardness, bond strength and surface roughness. Generally, the coating quality increases with increasing particle velocities.
PComP™
Imagine advanced coating materials that are put through the toughest abuse and still come out shining, coatings that last longer than us, coatings that are not just good for one application but can withstand severe wear, corrosion and thermal conditions in a variety of applications. Imagine coatings that make the impossible possible, that increase the life of components by 3-20 times and yet are cheaper, lighter, and save us from using toxic materials.
PComP’s are cermets fabricated into a hierarchical structure, using a patented process to engineer down to the nanoscale. The result is a microcomposite cermet coating that offers revolutionary performance and cost breakthroughs.
