Twin Wire Arc Sprayed Coatings for Power Industry Applications - Process parameters optimization study

Abstract

TWAS technology is established and widely used in practice for spraying metal alloy-based coatings, benefiting from the low cost of the device and the mobility, enabling the application of the coatings even on large structures without the need for disassembly. TWAS coatings properties and performance depends not only on the chosen type of the material but also on the deposition process parameters, which must be carefully chosen so that the properties of the resulting coating meet expectations. This paper presents the results of the spraying parameters optimization study, obtained using the multiparametric regression statistic model. 16 different composition of metal wires were included in the study. The results of the statistical analysis are supported by the microstructural analysis, carried out using optical microscopy. The compressed air pressure and the current were identified as significant variable, influencing the coating hardness and deposition rate.