Thermal Spray CoatingsTHERMAL SPRAY is a generic term for a group of processes in which metallic, ceramic, cermet, and some polymeric
materials in the form of powder, wire, or rod are fed to a torch or gun with which they are heated to near or somewhat
above their melting point. The resulting molten or nearly molten droplets of material are accelerated in a gas stream and
projected against the surface to be coated (i.e., the substrate). On impact, the droplets flow into thin lamellar particles
adhering to the surface, overlapping and interlocking as they solidify. The total coating thickness is usually generated in
multiple passes of the coating device.
The invention of the first thermal spray process is generally attributed to M.U. Schoop of Switzerland in 1911 and is now
known as flame spraying. Other major thermal spray processes include wire spraying, detonation gun deposition
(invented by R.M. Poorman, H.B. Sargent, and H. Lamprey and patented in 1955), plasma spray (invented by R.M. Gage,
O.H. Nestor, and D.M. Yenni and patented in 1962), and high velocity oxyfuel (invented by G.H. Smith, J.F. Pelton, and
R.C. Eschenbach and patented in 1958). A variant of plasma spraying uses a transferred arc to heat the surface being
coated. It is considered by some to be a welding process akin to hard facing rather than a true thermal spray process,
because the surface of the substrate becomes momentarily molten immediately beneath the torch.
A major advantage of the thermal spray processes is the extremely wide variety of materials that can be used to make a
coating. Virtually any material that melts without decomposing can be used. A second major advantage is the ability of
most of the thermal spray processes to apply a coating to a substrate without significantly heating it. Thus, materials with
very high melting points can be applied to finally machined, fully heat-treated parts without changing the properties of the
part and without thermal distortion of the part. A third advantage is the ability, in most cases, to strip and recoat worn or
damaged coatings without changing the properties or dimensions of the part. A major disadvantage is the line-of-sight
nature of these deposition processes. They can only coat what the torch or gun can "see." Of course, there are also size
limitations prohibiting the coating of small, deep cavities into which a torch or gun will not fit.
Figure 1 shows an example of the variety of shapes taken by the molten droplets as they impact, flow, and solidify on the
surface. The mechanism of bonding of the particles to the surface is not well understood but is thought to be largely due
to mechanical interlocking of the solidifying and shrinking particles, with asperities on the surface being coated unless
supplemental fusion or diffusion heat treatment is used. Indeed, most thermal spray coatings require a roughened
substrate surface for adequate bonding. Some interdiffusion or localized fusion of as-deposited coatings with the substrate
has been observed in a few instances with unique combinations of coatings and substrates. There is evidence of chemical
bonding in some coating/substrate systems, not unreasonable when the high-velocity impact of particles might be
expected to rupture any films on either the powder particles or the substrate. In addition, van der Waals forces may play a
role if the substrate is extremely clean and no significant oxidation occurs during deposition.
Thermal spray coatings are usually formed by multiple passes of a torch or gun over the surface. Typical cross sections of several examples of thermal spray coatings are shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the lamellar nature of the coatings. A coating can be made of virtually any material that can be melted without decomposing. Moreover, the deposition process itself can substantially alter the composition as well as the structure of the material. As a result, the microstructure and properties of the coatings can be extremely varied. Specification of a coating, therefore, must often involve more than simply stating the composition of the starting powder or wire and the general type of process to be used.
The applications of thermal spray coatings are extremely varied, but the largest categories of use are to enhance the wear
and/or corrosion resistance of a surface. Other applications include their use for dimensional restoration, as thermal
barriers, as thermal conductors, as electrical conductors or resistors, for electromagnetic shielding, and to enhance or
retard radiation. They are used in virtually every industry, including aerospace, agricultural implements, automotive,
primary metals, mining, paper, oil and gas production, chemicals and plastics, and biomedical. Some specific examples
are given in the section "Uses of Thermal Spray Coatings" in this article.
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