Foreword

The inclusion of Volume 5A in the ASM Handbook series marks the first time a publication formally sponsored by an ASM International affiliate society has been incorporated into the series.

The Thermal Spray Society (TSS) published the Handbook of Thermal Spray Technology in 2004 under direction of the TSS Training Committee. In 2011, the TSS decided to update and revise the book at the same time ASM International wanted to expand ASM Handbook, Volume 5, Surface Technology. All involved agreed the quality of the TSS book was appropriate for the ASM Handbook series.

ASM Handbook, Volume 5A, Thermal Spray Technology provides an introduction to modern thermal spray processes including plasma spray, high velocity oxy-fuel, and detonation gun deposition; and a description of coating properties, their wear, corrosion and thermal barrier characteristics. Thermal spray technology helps to sustain our way of life by reducing energy consumption, providing environmental benefits, supporting human comfort, and reducing material waste. Development of more reliable and robust equipment technologies, along with improved particle diagnostic instruments, will help to move the thermal spray process from guesswork to more of a science, giving designers and end users more confidence in the long-term manufacturing capabilities of the thermal spray process. Applications already experiencing such growth include industrial gas turbines, biomedical devices, electronics and semiconductors, automotive, and alternative energy (electrical generation, heating, and transportation).

ASM International is grateful for the work of volunteer editors, authors, and reviewers who dedicated their time and expertise, particularly Robert C. Tucker, Jr. and Mitchell R. Dorfman, whose extensive leadership and knowledge of the thermal spray field have been critical to this project.

ASM International is also thankful to members of the American Welding Society's C2 Committee on Thermal Spray who served as technical reviewers.