Abstract
Until now the use of thermal sprayed metallic coatings for wet corrosion protection is limited to applications where the coating (Al-alloys, Zn-alloys and their mixtures) acts as an anode to protect the substrate or special cases, where thick cold sprayed metallic layers give good results. Other atmospheric cold sprayed layers made of corrosion resistant Ni, Co, Cu or Fe base alloys have their limitations due to the process related discontinuities like pores and oxide films. In more aggressive environments thermal sprayed and fused layers made of so called self-fluxing Ni and Co based alloys are commonly applied. Also in some applications the use of specially designed gas shrouds or of spraying techniques running in inert gas atmospheres or vacuum can yield protective coating solutions. However, these techniques have high investment or service costs or the size of the parts to be coated is restricted. Recent developments in HVOF-spraying open new possibilities in applying cold sprayed coatings on site with good corrosion resistance. The aim of this paper is on one hand to give a comparative overview about the wet corrosion behaviour of thermally sprayed metallic coatings using different spraying techniques related to the performance of the corresponding bulk materials and on the other hand to demonstrate the potential of a new generation of coatings to protect or repair structures exposed to aggressive environments. Keywords: corrosion behavior, thermal sprayed metallic coatings, cermet coatings HVOF, HVIF, PTAW.