Larry Pershin

Study of Corrosion Behavior of Arc Sprayed Aluminum Coating on Mild Steel

In the current study, aluminum coating was deposited on mild steel by arc spraying. A well-adhered coating with low level of porosity was successfully obtained. To evaluate the corrosion behavior of the coating, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization tests in 3.5% NaCl solution were carried out. The as-coated samples were also subjected to a 1500-h salt spray assay. Polarization tests indicated that the corrosion current density of the aluminum coating is more than that of bulk aluminum. This could be due to the penetration of the electrolyte through open pores, resulted in the acceleration of aluminum corrosion. EIS measurements showed that the corrosion performance of the coating is improved during a long time immersion and exposure to saline mist. This could be due to plugging of pores by corrosion products which hinder further penetration of the electrolyte through the coating. The results obtained indicated that twin wire arc sprayed aluminum coatings can reliably protect steel structures against corrosion in chloride-containing aqueous solutions.

Spray-Formed, Metal-Foam Heat Exchangers for High Temperature Applications

Open pore metal foams make efficient heat exchanger because of their high thermal conductivity and low permeability. This study describes a novel method of using wire-arc spraying to deposit Inconel 625 skins on the surface of sheets of 10 and 20 pores per linear inch nickel foam. The skins adhere strongly to the foam struts, giving high heattransfer rates. Tests were done to determine the hydraulic and thermal characteristics of the heat exchangers and correlations developed to calculate Fanning friction factor and Nusselt number as a function of Reynolds number for airflow through the foam. Measured heat-transfer coefficients for the foam heat exchangers are greater than those of straight flow channels at the same flow rate. A ceramic thermal barrier coating was deposited on one face of the heat exchanger using plasma spraying. The coating and heat exchanger survived prolonged exposure to the flame of a methane-air burner. DOI: 10.1115/1.4001049

A New Highly Efficient High-Power DC Plasma Torch

We have developed a new dc plasma torch which is operated with a mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons, e.g., methane. Erosion of the graphite cathode is continually compensated by the deposition of carbon ions. The torch is typically operated at low currents and, due to the nature of the gases, high voltage. Thermal efficiency of the torch is around 75%.

An Investigation of Metal and Ceramic Thermal Barrier Coatings in a Spark-Ignition Engine

An investigation of metal and ceramic thermal barrier coatings in a spark-ignition engine Michael Anderson Marr Master of Applied Science Graduate Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Toronto 2009 Surface temperature and heat flux measurements were made in a single cylinder SI engine piston when uncoated and with two different surface coatings: a metal TBC and YSZ. A new thermocouple was developed to accurately measure surface temperatures. The engine was operated in a standard full load mode and a knock promoting mode featuring heated intake air and advanced spark timing. Cylinder pressures were measured to quantify knock. It was found that average heat flux into the piston substrate was 33 % higher with the metal TBC and unchanged with the YSZ relative to the uncoated surface. The increase with the metal TBC was attributed to its surface roughness. However, the metal TBC and YSZ reduced peak heat flux by 69 and 77 %, respectively. Both the metal TBC and YSZ reduced knock compared to the uncoated surface. After testing, the metal TBC was undamaged and the YSZ was slightly chipped.

Study of the Antibacterial Behavior of Wire Arc Sprayed Copper Coatings

Antibacterial surfaces such as silver and copper coated areas reduce risk of bacterial growth considerably. In this study, wire arc spraying has been utilized to produce an antibacterial copper coating with ultrafine microstructure on stainless steel substrate. The chemical composition, microstructure, and surface morphology of copper coatings were characterized with x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. Determination of thickness and adhesion of the coating were investigated. The antibacterial property of copper coatings was analyzed by both gram negative Escherichia coli NCTC 10418 and gram positive Staphylococcus aureus NCTC 11047. The antibacterial performance of coatings was compared to that of stainless steel 316 and a micrograin structure of the commercially available copper. Results indicated that the as-sprayed copper coatings have excellent antibacterial behavior compared to stainless steel and micrograin copper, which can be attributed to the presence of the ultrafine grain size, micropores, and crystallographic defects in the microstructure.

Titanium Dioxide Coating Prepared by Use of a Suspension-Solution Plasma-Spray Process

Abstract Titanium dioxide coatings were prepared from titanium isopropoxide solution containing nano TiO2 particles by use of a plasma-spray process. The effects of stand-off distance on coating composition and microstructure were investigated and compared with those for pure solution precursor and a water-based suspension of TiO2. The results showed that the anatase content of the coating increased with increasing stand-off distance and the rate of deposition decreased with increasing spray distance. Anatase nanoparticles in solution were incorporated into the coatings without phase transformation whereas most of the TiO2 in the precursor solution was transformed into rutile. The microstructure of preserved anatase particles bound by rutile improved the efficiency of deposition of the coating. The amount of anatase phase can be adjusted by variation of the ratio of solution to added anatase TiO2 nanoparticles.

Preliminary Testing of Metal-Based Thermal Barrier Coating in a Spark-Ignition Engine

A novel metal-based thermal barrier coating was tested in a spark-ignition engine. The coating was applied to the surface of aluminum plugs and exposed to in-cylinder conditions through ports in the cylinder wall. Temperatures were measured directly behind the coating and within the plug 3 and 11 mm from the surface. In-cylinder pressures were measured and analyzed to identify and quantify knock. Test results suggest the coating does not significantly reduce overall heat transfer, but it does reduce the magnitude of temperature fluctuations at the substrate surface. It was found that heat transfer can be reduced by reducing the surface roughness of the coating. The presence of the coating did not promote knock.

Microstructure characterization and modeling of splat formation during air plasma spraying for inconel 625 superalloy

There is a growing interest in use of the nickel-based alloy Inconel 625 coatings due to its ability to improve base materials high temperature properties. Thermal spraying methods such as Air Plasma Spraying (APS) can be considered as a convenient method to deposit this material. The present work deals with APS deposited Inconel 625 structures consisting of huge number of individual splats formed by impacting molten droplets on substrates during spraying process. It is clear that the splat formation mechanism which dominates its size, cohesion, and boundaries highly influences the microstructure of the coating. This paper presents a developed numerical technique performed to simulate splat formation using a three dimensional model. In this method flow field is solved by Finite Volume Method (FVM) and free surfaces are determined from Youngs’ Volume of Fraction method (VOF). Finally, the model prediction is correlated with the actual splat geometries.

Superhydrophobic ceramic coating: fabrication by solution precursor plasma spray and investigation of wetting behavior

HYPOTHESIS Superhydrophobic surfaces are often created by fabricating suitable surface structures from low-surface-energy organic materials using processes that are not suitable for large-scale fabrication. Rare earth oxides (REO) exhibit hydrophobic behavior that is unusual among oxides. Solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) deposition is a rapid, one-step process that can produce ceramic coatings with fine scale columnar structures. Manipulation of the structure of REO coatings through variation in deposition conditions may allow the wetting behavior to be controlled. EXPERIMENTS Yb2O3 coatings were fabricated via SPPS. Coating structure was investigated by scanning electron microscopy, digital optical microscopy, and x-ray diffraction. The static water contact angle and roll-off angle were measured, and the dynamic impact of water droplets on the coating surface recorded. FINDINGS Superhydrophobic behavior was observed; the best coating exhibited a water contact angle of ∼163°, a roll-off angle of ∼6°, and complete droplet rebound behavior. All coatings were crystalline Yb2O3, with a nano-scale roughness superimposed on a micron-scale columnar structure. The wetting behaviors of coatings deposited at different standoff distances were correlated with the coating microstructures and surface topographies. The self-cleaning, water flushing and water jetting tests were conducted and further demonstrated the excellent and durable hydrophobicity of the coatings.

Erratum to: Fabrication of Wire Mesh Heat Exchangers for Waste Heat Recovery Using Wire-Arc Spraying

We regret that the original article was published without the credit line for the 2013 International Thermal Spray Conference. The credit line that should have been placed as a footnote to the article is as follows: This article is an invited paper selected from presentations at the 2013 International Thermal Spray Conference, held May 13–15, 2013, in Busan, South Korea, and has been expanded from the original presentation.