TWI Frequently asked questions
by Suman Shrestha
The main advantages of plasma spraying over other thermal spray processes include:
- A wide range of coating materials to meet many different needs, with virtually all materials available in a suitable powder form.
- Higher quality coatings than other more conventional thermal processes such as flame or electrical arc spraying.
- Many types of substrate material, including metals, ceramics, plastics, glass, and composite materials can be coated using plasma spraying.
- The high temperature of a plasma jet makes it particularly suitable for spraying coatings of refractory metals and ceramics, including ZrO 2, B 4C and tungsten.
- A broader powder particle size range can be used, typically 5-100µm, compared with HVOF spraying.
- Plasma spraying is a well-established coating process that is widely available and well understood.
