Plasma spray is a thermal spraying process that uses a plasma torch to melt a material through an electrical arc using hot ionised gas.
The material usually comes in powder form. Once the material becomes molten it is then sprayed onto a surface or substrate, where it rapidly cools and solidifies, forming an even coating.
The plasma spray process can be used to coat a variety of materials, including metals, glass, ceramics, and various polymers.
The advantages
One of the main advantages of plasma spraying is the wide variety of materials that can be used to coat a substrate. A range of currently available coatings can be seen here: https://www.poeton.co.uk/standard-treatments/plasma-coatings.
Combine this with the number of surfaces that it is possible to spray in this way and you have an extremely versatile process that can be used across a wide range of industries as diverse as aerospace and medical.
For a business that is likely to need spray coatings regularly then plasma spraying can be cost-effective. It needs a dedicated space that is regulated in accordance with standard safety procedures, but once up and running it can prove an economic way to coat products and parts.
The process itself is quite fast and materials are ready for use not long after spraying.
Though it requires skilled users, plasma spraying is not a labour-intensive process.
Conclusion
The large variety of both coatings and surfaces to which they can be applied gives plasma spraying a versatility that cannot be matched by other spraying techniques. With new coatings being produced yearly, that advantage will only increase as time goes by.
Its use in giving a new lease of life to worn parts should not be overlooked too. And finally, the use of thermal barrier coatings in the renewable energy sector is opening up a new chapter in thermal spray coating technology.