Abstract
In order to meet the demand for improved performance from engineering components in aggressive environments, increasing attention is being paid to the design and production of surfaces with specific characteristics. One of the most effective means of producing special surfaces without affecting bulk substrate properties is to apply optimized materials in the form of coatings. There are many processes by which one material may be applied to another as a coating, but in the past 25 years plasma spray technology has advanced to become one of the most important. In this paper the principles of plasma spraying and the development of the Union Carbide argon shrouded torch process will be considered together with the methodology of materials and process control. Examples of production applications are taken from the field of gas turbine protection.
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