Optimized high-velocity oxy-fuel spraying of fine-cut WC-NiCr powder results in dense, crack-free, and ductile coatings, with a smoother as-sprayed surface that is expected to reduce grinding efforts and enhance coating performance. These coatings are candidates for replacing hexavalent chromium plating in high-performance applications.

This article describes the development and evaluation of a novel atmospheric plasma spray torch designed to overcome limitations in coating internal diameter surfaces. A case study demonstrates the torch's effectiveness in producing high-quality thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) for turbine components, applying NiCoCrAlY+HfSi bond coats and 8 wt% YSZ topcoats with appropriate porosity levels. Analysis results confirm that this torch delivers comparable performance to conventional torches while enabling the critical capability of operating in confined geometries, addressing a significant gap in thermal spray applications for gas turbine engine components subjected to extreme operating conditions.

Recent advances in high velocity oxygen fuel torches in the form of miniaturization, joining, automation, and digitization are increasing the application opportunities for this thermal spray coating technology.

Titanium boron composite coatings with superior wear performance were selected for use in materials experiments on the International Space Station. The titanium-boron nitride composite coatings were prepared using an atmospheric plasma spray technique from engineered composite powders. The coatings were subjected to extensive characterization and tribological studies. The results show tremendous improvement in the wear performance.

Developing a disciplined approach to standardizing special processes and introducing new technologies is key to eliminating defects in thermal spray applications.

Identifying metallographic TSC artifacts, specifically in air plasma spray zirconia-based thermal barrier coatings.

The high heating and cooling rates of additive manufacturing make it a good fit for metallic glasses, whose high elasticity, strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance are used in high-performance applications such as aerospace, defense, and biomedical devices.

Innovations built into a new plasma spray torch address shortcomings of previous axial injection equipment.

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with segmented or cracked microstructures exhibit enhanced thermal cyclic behavior and erosion resistance, along with improved application economics, over conventional TBCs.

Triboglide coatings offer enhanced wear resistance in applications like air foil bearings, actuators, and wear components where oil-based lubrication is scarce. They exhibit excellent wear and friction properties compared to other commercially available coatings.

Radio frequency inductively coupled plasma (RF-ICP) spraying is shown to be a promising method for producing oxidation-resistant W and W-Cr coatings on plasma-facing surfaces in fission and fusion reactors.

The use of coatings to enhance the performance of components is one of the most powerful tools in materials engineering. This article highlights some examples of how thermal spray technologies are used to enhance surface properties for selected applications and industries.

Kinetic metallization offers certain advantages over hard chrome and high-velocity oxyfuel thermal spray coatings, especially when elevated process temperatures would degrade the coating or part.

What needs to be discovered, learned, and understood to advance thermal spray beyond existing practices? Is revenue a realistic indicator of progress and advancement or is it just a framework for a much bigger picture? This article reviews some past successes, failures, and unrealized potentials of industrial and manufacturing outcomes and provides details of the knowns and unknowns of the thermal spray portfolio.

This article is a case study involving use of thermal spray surfacing to address blow mold head tooling wear being caused by glass-filled nylon material. This tooling wear was creating die gap issues, disrupting material flow during production, and causing nonconforming parts to be manufactured. Coated tooling demonstrated a significant increase in service life versus uncoated equipment.

This case study addresses the use of online diagnostic tools to adjust spray parameters to ensure consistent results.

Using thermal spray to coat the interiors of pipes and tubes used in heavy duty applications enhances mechanical properties and extends component lifetimes. This article describes results from a trials to optimize coating properties produced with new hardware designed to coat pipe interiors with diameters down to less than 5 inches, which has traditionally been a challenge for the production of high quality coatings.

This article describes work being done at the University of Limoges to develop thermal spray coatings for use in new nuclear power plant designs.

This case study reviews the considerations in applying plasma spray thermal barrier coatings on augmenters used in military aircraft turbine engines to extend their service life.

Recent advances in thermal spray techniques enable thermal spray aluminum coatings to reliably protect offshore structures in splash zones.