摘要 |
Known thermal spray apparatus are modified to achieve rough thermal spray coatings. Thermal spray apparatus operate to develop a plasma stream for introduction to a nozzle, for eventual application to the surface of a substrate. Upon entering the nozzle, the plasma stream is passed through a plasma cooling zone defined by a plasma cooling passageway, to a plasma accelerating zone defined by a narrowed passageway that expands into a plasma/particle confining zone for the discharge of material from the apparatus. The narrowed passageway of the apparatus is cooled, and the powder material to be applied by the apparatus is introduced into the plasma stream along the cooled, narrowed passageway. For the appropriate heating (melting) and acceleration of MCrAlY powder particles, for application to the substrate which is to receive the thermal spray coating, the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the initial (plasma cooling) passageway relative to the cross-sectional area of the narrowed (plasma accelerating) passageway is reduced from the more conventional value of about 4:1 to a ratio of 2:1 or less.
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