High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel Thermal Spraying Techniques
Summary
High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying comprises a family of processes in which a combustible mixture of fuel and oxygen generates a supersonic jet to accelerate feedstock particles onto a substrate, producing dense, well-bonded coatings. Variations include suspension HVOF (SHVOF), which utilises liquid suspensions of submicron or nanoscale powders, and high-velocity air-fuel (HVAF) spraying, where compressed air replaces pure oxygen to moderate flame temperature while maintaining high particle speeds. Key process parameters—fuel type, oxygen/fuel ratio, feedstock form, nozzle design and stand-off distance—govern in-flight particle temperature, velocity, trajectory and degree of melting. Upon impact, particles deform plastically or solidify rapidly, forming lamellar structures with minimal porosity and high adhesion. Such coatings enhance wear resistance, corrosion protection, thermal insulation and tribological performance across aerospace, energy, biomedical and manufacturing sectors. Advances in computational fluid dynamics, in-situ diagnostics and novel feedstock chemistries are driving improvements in coating uniformity, nanostructure control and environmental sustainability, including the adoption of hydrogen-fueled systems and bio-derived liquid carriers.
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High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel Thermal Spraying Techniques publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in high-velocity oxygen-fuel thermal spraying techniques across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel (HVOF): Thermal spray process using supersonic combustion of oxygen and fuel to accelerate powder particles toward a substrate.
Suspension High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel (SHVOF): Variation of HVOF employing liquid suspensions of submicron or nanoscale particles as feedstock to achieve ultrafine coatings.
High-Velocity Air-Fuel (HVAF): Spraying technique similar to HVOF but utilising compressed air instead of pure oxygen to moderate flame temperature while preserving particle velocity.
Particle in-flight behaviour: Dynamics of particles within the spray jet, encompassing velocity, temperature, trajectory and phase state prior to impact.
Nozzle geometry: Design of converging–diverging passages that control combustion gas expansion, shock structures and particle acceleration.
References
- A Comprehensive Review on Fluid Dynamics and Transport of Suspension/Liquid Droplets and Particles in High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel (HVOF) Thermal Spray. Coatings (2015).
- Numerical Analysis of the Activated Combustion High-Velocity Air-Fuel Spraying Process: A Three-Dimensional Simulation with Improved Gas Mixing and Combustion Mode. Materials (2021).
- Numerical and Experimental Investigations of CoNiCrAlY Particle Suspension Dynamics in Kerosene-Oxygen High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Spraying. Coatings (2023).
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