Clever coating saves several surfaces
15 Jan 2000
A high-tech coating process could help prolong the lifetime of engineering components in aggressive environments, such as gas turbines and incineration plants. Known as high-velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF), the technique is being used by Cambridge University postgraduate James Hearley to deposit low-porosity coatings of an intermetallic compound, nickel aluminide, onto metal surfaces.
Initial results from the experiments have shown that the NiAl coating has better corrosion resistance than nickel alloys or stainless steel; it also provides good wear resistance. This could reduce the cost of components, as they could be made of relatively cheap materials and then coated to give the required properties.
