Substrate Preparation and Thermal Spray Coating Performance—A Review

Coating adhesion has a major effect on the performance of thermal spray coatings and is in large part determined by the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of the substrate surface. This paper reviews some of the work that has been done to optimize the surface of different materials for thermal spraying. It covers a number of substrate preparation methods, including grit blasting, laser ablation, laser surface texturing, and dry ice blasting, and explains how different process variables affect surface roughness and bond strength.