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COLD
SPRAY TECHNOLOGY:
Cold gas dynamic spray is a revolutionary
technology that offers many advantages over traditional
thermal spray techniques. It is a US patented technology
based on a scientific discovery made in the former Soviet
Union in the early 1980's. Cold gas dynamic spray technology
is based on the discovery that particles moving at a
supersonic speed adhere to a base surface upon collision
with that surface. Since 1996, cold gas dynamic spray
has been in full-scale production outside the USA. Now,
it is finally commercially available in the USA through
Rus Sonic Technology, Inc. We offer an extensive and
versatile product line, which includes both "off-the-shelf"
standard, spray machinery as well as customized machinery
designed and built to specific customer specifications
for custom applications.
OUR UNIQUE COLD GAS DYNAMIC TECHNOLOGY. We are the
cold spray manufacturer in the world that can spray
hard alloys with pure air as the gas carrier. Other
manufacturers claim to spray hard alloys but they require
helium or other exotic and expensive gas as their air
carrier. Other manufacturers claim to have developed
cold spray equipment but they can only spray soft metals.
Still others claim to be able to sell their cold spray
equipment in the commercial market, but we are the only
manufacturer currently able to mass produce our equipment
and provide portable equipment for the field. To our
knowledge all other cold spray manufacturers must spray
inside an enclosed chamber, making practical applications
nearly impossible.
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COATING TECHNOLOGY.
The application of cold gas dynamic spray technology
as a metal spray coating method is straightforward:
A powdered metal, metal/ceramic blend, or polymer
is accelerated by compressed air through a supersonic
nozzle and is sprayed on the surface to be coated.
The hardness, porosity, and thickness of deposited
coatings can be controlled by adjustments to the
air pressure, pre-heater, and nozzle. Surface materials
include metal and metal alloys, ceramic and glass,
polymers, paper, and net screen and foil. |
UNIQUE CHARICTERISTICS. Traditional thermal spray
coating methods (plasma, electric arc, HVOF) require
high temperature of material particles to adhere to
a surface. Typically this temperature exceeds the material
melting point thereby creating problems inherent in
thermal spray. In cold gas dynamic spray - high temperatures
are not required. This is what makes the technology
unique. This technology utilizes the surface interaction
of particles moving at supersonic velocities between
mach 2-3 (required velocity is dependent upon application
and gas carrier ). Since high temperatures are not required
in cold gas dynamic spray, adhesion and porosity are
superior to thermal spray. Traditional thermal methods
-by definition- create undesirable chemistry changes
and associated stresses along with defect causing oxidation.
Cold gas dynamic spray utilizes supersonic velocity
to spray material so fast into a surface that a strong
bond is formed without the undesirable side effects
inherent in conventional thermal methods. This technology
has substantial benefits over traditional coating methods
due to low temperatures, low porosity, and superior
adhesion.
The attractiveness of the cold gas dynamic spray method
is that the application equipment and deposited coatings
have no limitations inherent in other thermal coating
methods. The coating quality and adhesion are superior
without the complexity of detonation or exotic gas deposition
methods. Cold gas dynamic spray technology offers flexibility
and economy for a wide variety of applications in a
multitude of industries.
Advantages
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Uniform
Microstructure / Low
Porosity / High
Adhesion
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Ruthenium
(Ru) Microstructure
of a border between surface &
coating.
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Microstructure
of Cu+Al2O3 coating
on steel surface
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Microstructure
of 8812 WC-Co coating on steel surface.
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- Low
Porosity/High Adhesion.
Once the material collides with
the substrate at supersonic velocity
it disrupts the metal-oxide films
on both the particle and substrate
surfaces bonding their atomic structures
together creating high-density bonds
with porosity less than 0.5%.
- Uniform
Microstructure. The material
is deposited on a surface at supersonic
velocities and remains at or near
room temperature until impact. The
velocity upon impact is so great
that a tight uniform bond is formed
without the undesirable chemistry
changes and stresses typically found
in thermal spray. This process leaves
the original structure of the substrate
intact.
- Negligible
Temperature.
Negligible heat is necessary to
heat metal powders prior to depositing
on surface. The coating is deposited
under normal atmospheric pressure
in any air temperature and air humidity.
- Negligible
to No Oxidation.
Because there are no chemistry
changes and stresses typically found
in thermal spray, cold gas dynamic
deposited materials exhibit negligible
to no defect causing oxidation.
This advantage applies specifically
to corrosion prevention applications.
- Safety.
Because negligible heat
is required, this technology can
be safely applied in inherently
dangerous industrial areas.
- Environmentally
Friendly. No
high temperatures, dangerous gases
or radiation, and no chemically
aggressive wastes.
- Chemically
Dissimilar Materials.
It is possible to bond chemically
dissimilar materials with bonds
that transition from one material
to another. This advantage applies
specifically to using cold gas dynamic
spray as a low-temperature (safe
environment) alternative to welding.
- Versatile
Product Offering. Standard
or customized equipment. Metal spray
ranging from hard to soft. Portable
and compact equipment available
for field service application and
repair. Multi-spray nozzles available
for wide-area spray and 360-degree
rotating nozzle available for spraying
inner/outer pipe applications. Powder
reclamation and air filtration systems
are available.
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Technical Specifications
Based on Standard Equipment. Characteristics
and Capabilities
Change Significantly Due to Custom Design
& Application
POWDER
MATERIALS
- Metals,
metal blends, metal alloys, and ceramics:
WC-Co, CrC-NiCr, Al, Cu, Al2O3, SiO2,
SiC, Ni, Cr, Fe, B, C, Ti, Cr2O3,
Zn, B2O, TiO2, WC, ZnB2, (TiB2+Ni+MoS2),
(Ti+Ni), (TiC+Ni+MoS2), (TiB2+Ni),
(C, Co, Fe, W), (C, Cr, Ni), (Al,
Ni), (Al, Hf, Fe, Mg, Si, Ti, Y, Zr)
- Polymers:
epoxy resin, polyurethane, thermal
plastic materials
SUBSTRATE
MATERIALS
- Metals
and metal alloys; ceramics and glass;
polymers; paper; and net screen &
foil.
COATING
CHARACTERISTICS
- Adhesion
and cohesion :
4,350 to 14,500 psi
- Hardness
:
40 to 102 HRC
- Roughness
:
Rz
= 20 to 40
- Porosity
:
less than 0.5%
- Max
thickness of a coating :
5 micron to unlimited
EQUIPMENT
CAPABILITIES
- Air
consumption range:
11 to 21 ft3/min
- Air
(gas) pressure :
58
to 150 psi
- Air
impact :
59
to 931 degree F
- Velocity
of the sprayed particles
by air
:
492 to 4,921 ft/sec
- Width
of spraying stripe for one pass :
0.4
to 2.0 in
- Powder
consumption :4.4
to 33 lbs/hr
- Efficiency
of spraying a coating :
2.2
to 18 lbs/hr
- Spraying
efficiency :
3.2
to 54 ft2 /hr
POWDER CONSUMPTION AND SPRAYING EFFICIENCY
CHART*
*Deposition
efficiency is dependent on powder type
and ranges from 50% to 85%. Powder consumption
efficiency can also be increased through
purchase and use of a reclamation system.
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