Thermal spraying services tailored to your needs
Thanks to its industrial tools, CITRA proposes a wide range of services. With its 2 booths, it is able to offer 4 thermal spraying processes (see below), each equipped with a set of robotic arm/turntable and its own powder feeder. These thermal spray processes can be tailored to each case for the development of new processes, products or coatings for any applications, to treat surfaces of about 1000x2000mm.
Service offer
As part of its activities, CITRA has been led to develop processes across its entire range of technological resources.
Hypersonic flame projection
Mainly used to perform carbide (WC/Co, Cr3C2), metallic (Ni, Co) and alloys (Inconel, MCrAlY) coatings. The high particle velocity and the significant material flow (up to 9 kg/h) allow to quickly build coatings with high added value technical characteristics. There are many applications such as anti-corrosion and anti-wear protections with the possibility of making thick coatings.
General technical characteristics
| Heat sources | Oxygen/ kerosene |
|---|---|
| Flamme’s Temperatue (°C) | 3 000 |
| Particles’s velocity (m/s) | 700 |
| Porosity rate (%) | 0,3 à 2 |
| Adhesion strenght (MPa) | 50 – 80 |
| Roughness | 3 < Ra< 10 |
| Thickness (mm) | 0,1 à 10 |
| Application examples | Metal deposits (copper, stainless steel, etc.) and cermets (tungsten carbide with cobalt and / or chromium) DIAMALLOY, METCO, WOKA |
Atmospheric plasma projection
This technique has a high competitive heat / velocity balance which allows the production of coatings at interesting deposition rates (from 1 to 5 kg/h). Application areas are large (wear, corrosion, oxidation, thermal barrier, friction) and deposited materials are varied (metals, alloys, ceramics, carbides, cermets).
General technical characteristics
| Heat source | Plasma Ar + H2, Plasma Ar + He |
|---|---|
| Flamme temperature (°C) | 12 000 |
| Particle speed (m/s) | 250 |
| Porosity rate (%) | 1 à 10 |
| Adhesion strenght (MPa) | 30 – 70 |
| Roughness | 5 < Ra< 10 |
| Thickness (mm) | 0,1 à 5 |
| Applications examples | Ceramic (alumina, zirconia, etc.) and metallic (stainless steel, copper, nickel, various alloys) deposits. METCO 41C, MEDIPURE |
Wire Arc
Generally used for applications requiring large amounts of deposited material (5 to 30 kg/h) to restore damaged components for example. Commonly used materials are zinc, aluminum, copper, molybdenum and steel alloys. With cored wires, carbide or polymer coatings can be envisaged at lower costs than in plasma, especially on temperature-sensitive substrates.
General technical characteristics
| Heat source | Arc-électrique |
|---|---|
| Flame temperature (°C) | 6 000 |
| Particles velocity (m/s) | 150 |
| Porosity rate (%) | 8 à 15 |
| Adhesion strenght (MPa) | 40 |
| Roughness | Ra > 10 |
| Thickness (mm) | 0,2 à 10 |
| Application examples | Metal deposits (brass, stainless steel, copper, zinc, aluminum, etc.)TAFA |
Flame-powder projection
First thermal spray process developed in the early twentieth century for anti-corrosion coatings, its implementation is quite simple and inexpensive. The most used materials are self-melting alloys but the spraying of steels, polymers or ceramics is also possible. The SURFACILIM program and the KERAVIVA range products have notably been developed with IMERYS.
General technical characteristics
| Heat source | Oxygene/ acetylene |
|---|---|
| Flame temperature (°C) | 3 000 |
| Particle velocity (m/s) | 40 |
| Porosity rate (%) | 10 à 20 |
| Adhesion strenght (MPa) | 20 – 40 |
| Roughness | Ra > 10 |
| Thickness (mm) | 0,2 à 0,5 |
| Application examples | Ceramic deposits (alumina, enamels)IMERYS, SAINT GOBAIN) |
Cold Spray
Cold spray is a process designed for coating but also for repairing components used in advanced industrial sectors, up to creating 3D shapes. Cold spray belongs to the family of thermal spray methods, but differs from other techniques in that it is a solid-state process. It has many advantages : high thickness, very low porosity, very low oxidation and excellent adhesion.