High-Enthalpy Plasma Spraying

Arc instability in conventional plasmas causes variations in particle properties that can lead to poor coating quality and low deposit efficiencies. In this paper, the authors explain how the use of molecular gases with higher enthalpy mitigates the effects of arc instability, resulting in higher spray rates, better coating quality, and lower cost per kilogram of material deposited. They also describe the design and operation of a commercial high-enthalpy plasma spraying system and present and analyze coatings of different materials thereby produced. Paper includes a German-language abstract.