Reactive Plasma Spray

Abstract

Thermal spraying is a well-known coating technology with many variations in spraying techniques, feedstock materials and substrate materials. These unique variations increased its industrial applicability in different fields, including aerospace, automotive, chemical process, corrosion protection, and medical applications. However, one of the main limitations of thermal spray is the difficulty of depositing several nitride ceramics directly using conventional techniques. This is due to the decomposition of nitride particles under high temperature without a stable melting phase. This chapter presents reactive plasma spraying (RPS) technology as a promising solution for the in situ fabrication of several nitride ceramic coatings. The main attractive prospects of RPS for fabricating nitride coatings are specifically highlighted. Successful development of various high-temperature nitride coatings, such as AlN, Fe4N and Si3N4, are presented. Process optimization, the relationship between reaction and process parameters and the influence on coatings formation are comprehensively discussed.