Solution Precursor Plasma Spray System

Abstract

Suspension and solution thermal spraying technology, an attractive technique in coating technology, has been used for depositing nano-structured coatings. It is technically difficult to feed powders of particle size less than 5-10 μm due to the effect of surface forces on powder flow. In the newly-developed suspension plasma spray (SPS) process, nano-sized particles are suspended in a liquid before being injected into the plasma plume; thus circumventing the normal feeding methods. Similarly, the solution precursor plasma spray (SPPS) process deposits melted feedstock onto a substrate as splats. The difference between SPPS and SPS processes is the nature of the feedstock material. The SPPS and SPS methods combine the simplicity and high through-put of the plasma spray process with versatility and economics of the spray pyrolysis process to produce the desired nanostructured materials [14].