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Application of Thermal Spray Technology in Aero-Engines
Release time:
2020-08-30 14:50
Source:
Application of Thermal Spray Technology in Aero-Engines
Thanks to the wide availability of thermal spray materials, stable preparation processes, highly tunable coating composition and microstructure, controllable coating quality, the ability to produce a variety of functional and protective coatings, and the possibility of automated production, thermal spray technology has found extensive applications in the field of aerospace manufacturing. Thousands of critical components of aircraft engines and aircraft—such as compressor blade dovetails, casings, sealing shrouds, combustion chambers, turbine blades, guide vanes, journal bearings, bearing housings, sealing rings, and nozzles—require thermal spray coatings. The application of thermal spray coatings has significantly enhanced the reliability and service life of aircraft engines.
High-temperature, wear-resistant sealing coatings produced by plasma spraying technology
The high-temperature abradable sealing coating, as one of the critical coatings for engine components, is used to regulate the clearance between the high-pressure turbine rotor components and the engine casing. It plays a vital role in maintaining engine efficiency. The high-temperature abradable sealing coating developed domestically in China, which incorporates ceramic-based friction-reducing self-lubricating materials and polyphenyl ester, features a low coefficient of friction, excellent abradability, and outstanding resistance to high-temperature oxidation and gas erosion. Typically, the thickness of such high-temperature abradable sealing coatings exceeds 1.5 mm, necessitating the use of robotic automated plasma spraying technology. This technology employs computer-controlled closed-loop regulation of spraying parameters and real-time monitoring of coating thickness, thereby ensuring uniformity in coating microstructure and thickness and stabilizing the metallurgical quality of the coating.
Plasma spraying for the fabrication of thermal barrier coatings
Thermal barrier coatings are used in aero-engines and land-based gas turbines to protect high-temperature engine components such as combustion chambers, turbine blades, and flame tubes. These coatings can significantly extend component life, improve engine efficiency, reduce component temperatures, or increase gas temperatures.
The main preparation methods for thermal barrier coatings are plasma spraying and electron-beam physical vapor deposition. Thermal shock resistance and thermal conductivity are two key technical indicators for thermal barrier coatings. Without excellent thermal shock resistance, thermal barrier coatings cannot be successfully applied to aerospace engines that have extremely high reliability requirements. Achieving coating lifetimes of thousands or even tens of thousands of hours is crucial for the successful application of thermal spray coatings in commercial aircraft engines.
Since yttria-stabilized zirconia operates at temperatures above 1200℃ and undergoes a phase transformation during subsequent cooling, the material’s volume expands by approximately 4% during this phase transition. This volumetric effect can cause cracking or even spalling of the coating. Both domestic and international scholars have conducted extensive research on multi-component systems in which two or more rare-earth oxides are used in combination to stabilize zirconia, achieving significant progress. For instance, a ternary rare-earth composite stabilized zirconia developed by U.S. scientists—comprising gadolinium oxide, ytterbium oxide, and yttria—can operate at temperatures as high as 1500℃ and has already been commercialized.
Development Trends in Thermal Spray Technology
After more than 100 years of development, thermal spraying technology has become increasingly mature and is now used in a wide range of fields, including aerospace, industrial gas turbines, automotive, power generation, fuel cells and solar energy, healthcare, papermaking and printing, and many others.
To achieve a major breakthrough in aeroengine performance—namely, high thrust-to-weight ratio and high efficiency—it is essential to raise the gas temperature within the engine. This inevitably leads to a significant increase in the surface temperatures of the hot-end components of the high-pressure turbine. Carbides and nitrides, such as SiC and Si3N4 ceramics, are the most promising candidates to replace nickel-based superalloys as high-temperature structural materials for engines operating at even higher temperatures. However, a key factor limiting their widespread adoption is their insufficient structural stability under the harsh high-temperature gas environment inside the engine. Specifically, carbides and nitrides can react with steam and other substances to form volatile products, severely degrading the microstructure and performance of these ceramic materials. By applying an environmental barrier coating via a combination of chemical vapor deposition and plasma spraying techniques on the ceramic surface, we can effectively prevent direct contact between the high-temperature gas atmosphere and the ceramic matrix, thereby enhancing the structural stability of the ceramic substrate.
In certain critical application areas, high coating adhesion strength is required—indeed, metallurgical bonding between the coating and the substrate may even be necessary. To overcome the limitations of mechanical bonding at the interface of thermal-sprayed coatings, laser-plasma hybrid spraying technology has emerged. In laser-plasma hybrid sprayed coatings, the interface exhibits metallurgical bonding, and the coating structure is dense and uniform, making it suitable for manufacturing brush-type sealing tracks in engines. Currently, the main issues that need to be addressed are: first, controlling the heat input to prevent excessive dilution of the coating composition and decomposition of material components; second, reducing internal stresses to avoid cracking within the coating.
Guangzhou Sanxin Thermal We specialize in the manufacture of various thermal spray equipment and plasma spray equipment. Supersonic spraying equipment, arc spraying equipment, zinc-spraying machines, aluminum-spraying machines; flame powder spraying equipment, flame wire spraying equipment, flame plastic-coating equipment, and various thermal spray coating processes, ceramic spraying processes, and tungsten carbide spraying processes.
Relevant Information
The complete set of plasma-sprayed equipment has been shipped to the customer’s site in Thailand.
Core spraying equipment: SX-80 plasma spray main unit, with a 15,000℃ flame suitable for multiple materials including zirconia and silicon carbide; powder feeding accuracy of ±1%, and coating thickness tolerance ≤ ±5 μm. Environmental protection support system: Customized soundproof booth + pulse dust collector—effectively addressing spray noise pollution while achieving highly efficient dust recovery, compliant with Thai environmental standards. Automated equipment: 6-axis industrial robot + intelligent spray cart, enabling precise spraying of complex workpieces and automated loading/unloading, boosting production efficiency by 40%.
On-site engineers provide hands-on training, focusing on the core operations of plasma spraying equipment such as the SX-80. Sanxin has customized a complete solution for its customers, including an automated spraying robotic arm, a soundproof booth, and a dust removal system—ensuring both high spraying efficiency and compliance with environmental standards.
Guangzhou Sanxin Thermal Spraying Turntable Shipment
Guangzhou Sanxin Company manufactures single-station and multi-station thermal spray turntables, which can be paired with plasma equipment, supersonic equipment, and arc equipment. We offer rapid, customized production tailored to customer requirements and product dimensions. A thermal spray turntable is a high-precision rotary worktable specifically designed for thermal spraying processes—including flame spraying, plasma spraying, and arc spraying. By providing controllable rotational speed and exceptional stability, it ensures uniform coating thickness on the workpiece surface, thereby enhancing spraying efficiency and quality.
SX-80 plasma equipment is being used at a customer site in Russia.
SX-80 plasma equipment is being used at a customer site in Russia.
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