Recently Patented Work on Thermally Sprayed Coatings for Protection Against Wear and Corrosion of Engineered Structures

Advanced ceramic and metallic coatings for wear and corrosion protection of engineered structures applied by thermal spraying techniques have become a mainstay of surface engineering. Estimated global sales of thermally sprayed coatings are in the US$5 billion range per year, 50% of which are achieved by atmospheric plasma spraying. The development of suitable deposition equipment, sophisticated on-line process control, ease of application to complex surfaces, availability of a broad range of tailored feedstock materials, and sensitive characterization and quality assurance methods make novel surface coatings and their improved deposition techniques increasingly attractive. This review will cover patented progress in the field of wear- and corrosion-resistant coatings achieved during the past few years.