Flame-sprayable flexible wires

摘要

A flame-sprayable flexible wire comprising a mineral powder having a particle size of less than about 140 mesh and about 5 to 70% by volume of the wire of a polyurethane or epoxy polymer. Advantageously the wire is produced by forming the requisite mixture plus a curing agent, effecting a partial cure in a sheet form, crumbling the sheet to coarse granules and extruding the granules to form the wire. The mineral powder particles may first be coated with a surface active resin such as a silicone which promotes adhesion to the polymer and which protects the polymer from the degradative effect of the mineral. The preferred surface active resins are silicones. The wire retains its strength and flexibility over long periods of time and produces high quality flame sprayed surfaces.