Thermal Spray Coatings for Wear and Corrosion Resistance

Thermal spray coatings encompass a suite of processes that project molten or semi-molten particles onto engineered surfaces, forming dense, adherent layers tailored to resist wear, erosion and chemical attack. Widely employed in aerospace, energy generation, automotive and manufacturing sectors, these coatings use diverse feedstocks—from tungsten carbide-based cermets to corrosion-resistant alloys—and benefit from high deposition rates and minimal base-metal heating. Key parameters such as particle velocity, temperature and spray angle govern microstructural features including porosity, residual stress and phase composition, which in turn dictate performance under sliding, cavitation and impact loading. Recent advances have focused on lowering process temperatures while increasing kinetic energy through high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) and high-velocity air-fuel (HVAF) techniques, enabling finer control over decarburisation, oxide content and bond strength. At the same time, novel binder systems, tailored post-treatments and gradient architectures are opening new pathways to extend service life in aggressive environments, highlighting the global importance of this field for sustainable, cost-effective surface engineering.

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Thermal Spray Coatings for Wear and Corrosion Resistance publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in thermal spray coatings for wear and corrosion resistance across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Thermal spray coating: A process that deposits molten or semi-molten particles onto a substrate to form a protective layer.

HVOF (High-Velocity Oxy-Fuel): A technique using oxygen-fuel combustion to accelerate particles to high speed, producing dense coatings.

HVAF (High-Velocity Air-Fuel): A variant of HVOF utilising compressed air and fuel for lower flame temperatures and reduced oxidation.

Cermet: A composite material of ceramic particles bound within a metallic matrix, combining hardness with toughness.

Tribology: The study of friction, wear and lubrication between interacting surfaces in relative motion.

Porosity: The volume fraction of voids within a coating, affecting mechanical strength and corrosion resistance.

Fracture toughness: A measure of a material’s ability to resist crack propagation under stress.

References

1. Experimental study of high velocity oxy-fuel sprayed WC-17Co coatings applied on complex geometries. Part A: Influence of kinematic spray parameters on thickness, porosity, residual stresses and microhardness. Surface and Coatings Technology (2017).
2. Advances in Thermally Sprayed WC-Based Wear-Resistant Coatings: Co-free Binders, Processing Routes and Tribological Behavior. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology (2022).
3. Influence of nozzle configuration and particle size on characteristics and sliding wear behaviour of HVAF-sprayed WC-CoCr coatings. Surface and Coatings Technology (2021).
4. Investigating load-dependent wear behavior and degradation mechanisms in Cr3C2–NiCr coatings deposited by HVAF and HVOF. Journal of Materials Research and Technology (2021).
5. Evaluation of Residual Stresses and Their Influence on Cavitation Erosion Resistance of High Kinetic HVOF and HVAF-Sprayed WC-CoCr Coatings. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology (2020).