The UTSC '97 saw the release of a new wave of HVOF related technologies with the promise of high quality coatings allied to lower costs and simpler operation. This trend was seen by some experts as signifying the future of HVOF development. The emphasis was on increasing the cost effectiveness/competitiveness of HVOF coatings and making the technology more attractive to the general coatings market. One route was to use microchip technologies to control the process therefore reducing operation involvement in addition to reducing parts and system cost. Further features included using higher oxygen inlet chamber pressures for higher quality and higher deposition rates. The more compact and portable designs also allow HVOF to expand into field applications and a lower capital cost enabled non-specialists to adopt HVOF. This paper summarises the significant features of this technology wave in the light of practical operational experience and applications. One key to the success of the technology has been its correct matching to the coating type and application. Total coating cost analysis is performed to highlight its economic benefits and there is a comparison with other established forms of coating such as chrome plating, plasma and combustion spraying. This includes a description of the coating quality and wear performance.

The plasma transferred arc process continues to be the coating method of choice for the application of cobalt base alloys onto valve and valve trim. Although new applications have been developed over the years, the process remains largely associated with the application of high performance, highly alloyed powders for relatively small parts or small areas of large parts. The use of the plasma transferred arc process for large volume application has been limited by the robustness and performance characteristics of the equipment and the use of cobalt. A new plasma transferred arc system (power source, torch and process controller) has been developed which allows the application of powder metal alloys at deposition rates of up to 40 pounds per hour. In addition, there has been a development of new non-cobalt powder alloys with excellent mixed corrosion and wear resistance properties. These capabilities have rendered the process technically and economically viable for large and demanding applications in the mining, power utility and steel industries. The new PTA system and the recent developments in powder alloys will be discussed. Reference will be made to specific applications in target industries.

Spray and Fuse coatings are ideally suited to boiler environments. The fusing step gives to optimized coatings a uniform chemistry and microstructure, a metallurgical bonding, no through porosity, a low oxide content and no cracking. The relative simplicity of the traditional processing equipment is suited to on-site and automated application including coating repair. Although enjoying considerable success in traditional boilers, their advance into new applications appears restrained by the issue of substrate property modifications during fusing. This paper studies the modification in substrate boiler tube materials (microstructure and mechanical properties) associated with the coating of advanced NiCrBSi alloys. Charpy impact, tensile strength, yield strength, elongation and thermal expansion coefficient testing between 22°C and 450°C are measured. By optimal coating design to a specific substrate, the effect on mechanical property modifications by fusing could be dramatically reduced to allow new and reliable coatings systems to be demonstrated for advanced applications. The future for Spray and Fuse coatings in boilers is discussed.

There are numerous industrial applications where materials are subjected to simultaneous high temperature oxidation/corrosion and wear (such as erosion). This combination often leads to accelerated degradation. Specific industries include: chemical, waste incineration, power generation and paper/pulp with typical applications including boilers and cyclones. Previous studies have established wrought material compositions and microstructures which can resist these environments. In searching for cost-effective industrial solutions, surface coating via thermal spray becomes attractive. However, the microstructural complexity of such coatings can make the simple extrapolation of bulk material behavior to these coatings dangerous. If these coatings are to be used more widely, a greater understanding of their high temperature erosion/corrosion behavior and the influence of coating process is required. A range of Fe-and Ni-based alloys and thermal spray techniques were studied under various high temperature erosion/corrosion conditions. The critical erosion parameters of impact angle (30° to 90°) and temperature (up to 550°C in air) have been studied in an atmospheric fluidized bed test rig environment, using Al2O3 erodent at a typical impact velocity of 4m/sec and conventional high temperature erosion test equipment. The important microstructural and mechanical features of the coatings and the effect of the thermal spray process are discussed in terms of their high temperature degradation mechanisms.