Wire Arc Spray Process

Abstract

Corrosion, erosion and wear are a serious problem in internal combustion engines, fluidized
bed combustion, steam turbine, industrial waste incinerators and boilers. Thermal spray
coating is one of the efficient methods to overcome this problem. Among distinct thermal
spray coating, wire arc spray is acquiring higher potential due its low equipment costs, high
deposit efficiency, high spraying rate, simplicity, flexibility and formation of a more coarse
coating than the HVOF or Plasma coating. Due to these attractive properties this process is
widely used to reduce corrosion of bridge decks, welded tube seams, transport pipes, piston
rings, capacitors, large infrastructures and boiler walls. Hence, effort has been made to study
the basic principle, process parameter and field application of wire arc spray. The basic types
of coatings with a high resistance to wear, erosion and corrosion developed by wire arc
spraying techniques, which can be applicable for different industry, are described.

Keywords – Friction Stir Processing, Surface Modification, Process Parameters and

Applications.

Keywords-Thermal spray, Wire arc spray, Wear, Erosion, Corrosion, Parameter, Applications.
 1. INTRODUCTION

Surface coating by thermal spray has a great potential because coating allow to exploit cost
saving by accomplish the structural demand (stiffness and strength), accomplish the needs on
the machine part surfaces (erosion resistance, corrosion resistance, wear resistance,
conductivity or electrical isolation, thermal isolation, catalytic function, decorative effect,
etc). In addition, this technique is also utilized to repair of damaged or worn surfaces of
machinery parts. Thermal spray techniques were commenced by Max Ulrich Schoop in
Zurich in the early 1900s. The very first kind of thermal spray technique was wire flame
spray, which is also known as metalizing. At that time, the process was to firstly melt metal,
either pure or alloyed, in wire form, and then spray the metal onto a substrate by a jet of high-
velocity compressed air. The main problem of this technique at the beginning was the high
porosity and low bond strength of coatings. Later, wire arc spray was commenced by Max
Ulrich Schoop. In the 1930s, spray materials in power form was introduced in this field. In
the 1960s, there was an important breakthrough, which is the introduction of plasma spray
that could use both metals and refractory materials [1]. Basically, in thermal spray technique.
Metallic or non- metallic materials are deposited as fine powder particles in all states to build
a coating. Fig. 1 show the basic steps involved during thermal spray coating technique. In this
coating technique, a heat sources (electric arc, plasma, oxy-fuel gas) is utilized to melt the
feedstock materials (wire/rod/powder).

Figure 1. Basic steps used in thermal spray process [2]

Thermal spray coating techniques are mainly divided on the basis of energy source utilized to melt the
feedstock metals (Fig. 2).

Figure 2. Classification of different thermal spray methods on the basis of energy source utilized in the process [2]

The choice of the arc spray coating technique is because of its several benefits such as resist high
temperature oxidation, erosion, and corrosion and onsite applications. Literature showed that wire arc
spray coating gives better coating properties as compared to other thermal spray technique. In
addition, this process resists corrosion of steel structure up to 20 years in extreme environment [3].
Currently, WAS coating is used by many industries to resist corrosion owing to its economic benefits.
Since other thermal spray technique like flame spraying involves higher cost than wire arc spray
technique: around 3 times as represented in Table 1.
Table -1 Cost comparison of electric arc spray with flame spray technique
[4]

[Link] Parameters Arc Flame

. spraying spraying
1 Liquefaction of zinc (Kg/hr) 35 18
2 Effective utilization (min/h) 40 40
3 Energy cost ($/m2) 0.11 2.33
4 Spraying speed (m2/hr for 23 12
100 µm Zn)
5 Wage costs ($/m2) 2.17 4.17
6 Energy cost for liquefying 25 28
zinc ($/h)
7 Effective utilization (kg/h) 23 12
Total Cost ($/m2) 2.28 6.5

Among different thermal spray coating, electric wire arc spray is gaining higher potential due
its low operating/equipment costs, high deposit efficiency, low power input (5-10 KW), high
spraying rate, possible to spray two dissimilar wires, simplicity, flexibility, and provides an
on-site solution for repair of damaged components. Due to these attractive properties this
process is widely used to reduce corrosion of bridge decks,
welded tube seams, transport pipes, piston rings, capacitors, boiler tubes and large
infrastructures. Hence, this paper only focus on the detail description of a flexible and versatile
wire arc sprays coating process.
II ELECTRIC ARC SPRAY

The electric arc spray can be used only with wire-form feedstock materials. Two metallic
wires are fed at controlled speed into the arc gun and electrically charged with positive and
negative polarity. At the point where the two wires come into contact, an electric arc is
created and it melts the wires. A compressed gas steam accelerates the molten particles
toward the surface of the tube and forms the coating [5]. Electric arc spraying (Figure 3) is a

simple technique that can be used on-site because it only requires electricity and compressed
air [6].
Figure 2. Schematic for electric arc spray [5]

2.1 Merits and Demerits of electric arc spray

The main benefit is the feasibility of thick coating on large surfaces, at relatively low cost.
In addition it offers high bond strength (2 to 3 times greater than flame spray), Low heat
input, denser coating (compared to flame spray), high spray efficiency, high deposition
rate, no expensive gas such as argon is required [7- 9]. A certain limitations of wire arc
sprayed coatings is higher porosity, which can be decreased by increasing particle
velocity, byusing high quality materials or devices as well as additional sealing coatings
[10, 11].
2.2 Process and parameters of wire arc spray
coating [12] The main elements of wire arc
spray technique are:
1. Thermal Arc Spray m/c – used to melt coating wire by current.
2. Spray Gun – used to charge the coated material.
3. Air Compressor – used to increase the speed of melted material.
4. Blasting Pot – used for garnet space when blasting arrangement is accomplished.

2.3 Parameters: The parameters are depicted in Table 2.

 Table 2: Electric arc spray process parameters [13-15].

S.N Parameters Values

O.
1 Temperature of Up to 5000 degree
particles Celsius
2 Particles velocity 100 to 300 m/s
3 Feed stock form Ø 1.6 to 3.2 mm
4 Spray distance 15 to 25 cm
5 Maximum spray 16Kg/hr
rate
6 Power input 6 to 80 KW
7 Voltage 30V
8 Ampere 200A
9 Pressure 4 to 6 bar
Electric arc spray technique produces better coating quality for different applications then flame
spray. This is due to the fact that electric arc spray coating possesses low porosity, low oxide
content, higher micro hardness, less wear rate and dense microstructure [16, 17]. However,
electric arc sprays have higher porosity, but it can be reduced by enhancing the particle velocity
[18, 19].

2.4 Applications of Wire Arc Spray Coating Process [20-23]

• Power plant – to resist erosion corrosion of boiler tubes.
• In automobile – to resist wear and corrosion of gear box shaft and crankshaft.
• Steel structure- to resist corrosion and to improve life.
• Offshore field, marine application: to prevent the components from erosion and wet
corrosion.
• In bridge decks, capacitors, transport pipes, welded tube seams etc.
• Used for coating of large infrastructures.

Some commonly used coating material for different engineering applications are shown in
Table 3.

Table 3: Different engineering applications of arc spraying [9]

Field Coating Material Engineering Applications

To resist wear and anti fretting
(shaft, crankshaft, rolls), restoration
Automobile Al, Zn, steel, cored wire, (plunger), clearance control (gear
NiCr box and axes)
Marine Al, Zn and AlMg To prevent marine parts from
corrosion
To decrease of bridg an othe
Structure Al, Zn and AlMg corrosion metallic e d r
structure.
To resist erosion- corrosion of
components subjected to high
Industries Al, Zn and AlMg temperature such as boiler tubes.
resistors, capacitors, RF shielding on
Electronics and non- metallic parts, discrete
Electrical AI, Cu, Zn, resistors, conductive elements on plastic or
Applications capacitors, NiCr ceramic substrates
Other Zn, Al, Pb, NiCr, NiAl, cored Casting molds (shoe soles, shielding
applications wire. of X-ray
room, bond coating and slab marking)