Plasma Lab

The thermal spray laboratory at UCF houses the state-of-the-art coating and bulk component development facility comprising Plasma and HVOF spray modules. The laboratory is well equipped to develop coatings from ceramic, metallic particles (both micro and nano-size ranges) and solution precursors with applications spanning from corrosion-wearoxidation resistant, the thermal barrier to thermal protection. The laboratory also has the expertise to manufacture bulk nanostructured composites with simple to complex geometries with considerable ease than other processing techniques. Depending on the material and coating/ bulk component properties, the torch and spray parameter combination is chosen from the thermal spray infrastructure.

Using a range of plasma spray torches 3 MB (40 kW), 9 MB (80 kW), F4 (60 kW), SG100 torches, the high melting point materials could be processed. HVOF torches (Jet Kote) is useful to shoot the metallic particles at high velocities thereby high dense overlay coatings could be achieved on desired substrates. The torches are mounted on a six-axis robot that could carry the torch to virtually any location in the booth precisely to perform the coating process precisely. Sensors (DPV, Acura Spray, Spray Watch) are available to determine the velocity and temperature of particles during the spray process that can be used to correlate the spray parameters to the particle states and thereby the properties of the end application.

Powder feeders (1264 Praxair model and DJ 9MP) and mass flow controllers are available for precise monitoring of the feed rates of powders and gases respectively. Spray drying equipment is available to prepare nano-feedstock powders for effective and safe handling of nanopowders for coatings and components for thermal, catalytic, biomedical and energy applications.