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What are the most common applications of flame spraying?

   

Flame spraying is widely used where lower coating costs are desired and coating quality requirements are less severe. The process is widely used for reclamation of worn or mismatched parts, and to deposit zinc and aluminium coatings for corrosion protection of steel structures. It is also used to apply wear-resistant coatings of nickel or cobalt base alloys.

Common applications of flame sprayed coatings include:

  • Corrosion protection of structures and components (e.g. bridges, offshore platforms, LPG bottles) with aluminium or zinc coatings. Aluminium is more expensive, but has resistance to acidic gaseous atmospheres (such as those associated with the products of fossil fuel combustion), as well as neutral solutions, such as salt water. Zinc has resistance to alkaline corrosion. Flame spraying is also used to apply corrosion resistant thermoplastic polymer coatings.
  • Reclamation of worn shafts, particularly of bearing areas with materials such as stainless steel or bronze alloys. The coatings produced are porous and lubricants can be absorbed into the coating, enhancing the performance of the bearing.
  • Self-fluxing hard facing alloys, e.g. NiCrBSi alloys. After spraying, these alloys are generally fused to the substrate by a subsequent heating step. This is usually done with an oxyacetylene torch that heats the coated surface toover 900°C. The result is a fully dense, metallurgically bonded coating. A good application example is glass plungers, where a spray-fused coating is used to give protection against molten glass at temperatures approaching 700°C.

See further information about Materials & Corrosion Management or please contact us.

 

Glass plunger coated with a self fluxing alloy
Glass plunger coated with a self fluxing alloy

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