Investigation of the Microplasma Spraying Processes

Microplasma spraying has the potential to expand the range of applications for plasma spraying, particularly for the production of functional coatings. The low heat input on the substrate material allows small and thin-walled components to be coated without risk of overheating or deformation and with less powder loss due to the small plasma jet. This paper investigates the influence of various process parameters on the spraying of molybdenum, stainless steel, WC-Co, zirconium dioxide, and aluminum oxide using a microplasma system. Material consumption, plasma jet size, and layer structure are measured along with various aspects of particle behavior in the plasma jet. Paper includes a German-language abstract.