Technology Transfer Department

Application sectors

Problem to solve

The system mainly aims to solve problems related to the need to protect the surfaces and integrity of structural materials such as steels and metal alloys through the application of metal coatings and/or protective inorganic oxides (e.g. corrosion from aggressive liquids, erosion, electrical and/or thermal insulation, gas permeation, etc.). Potential users are manufacturers of materials and components intended for applications in harsh environments where it is necessary to preserve their properties and guarantee certain performances.

Description

Coating deposition using D_Gun is a coating technique belonging to the thermal-spray family. It is a low-cost method that allows metal and ceramic materials with a high melting point to be deposited quickly and in a wide range of thicknesses, from a few micrometres to thicknesses in the order of millimetres, using a layer-on-layer approach. The system consists of a tubular barrel into which a mixture of oxygen and a fuel (acetylene or propane) is introduced along with the precursors of the coating to be obtained (in powder form). The ignition of the combustion gases inside the tubular chamber generates a detonation wave that melts and accelerates the precursor powders to a very high temperature and speed. The melted powders, impacting on the surfaces to be coated, form a dense, low-porous and adherent coating. In general, the characteristics of coatings from D_Gun are superior to those from other thermal-spraying techniques.

Research group involved