Coating proves tough, durable on flame sprayer

A cost-effective flame spray method for applying Vicote coating from Victrex USA, Inc. (W. Conshohocken, PA) to various metal and ceramic substrates promises to widen the use of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) in applications needing tough, durable, high-temperature, and chemically resistant protection.

Historically, thermal spray technology has been limited to applying metal alloys, cermets, and some low-performance polymers to form a protective coating on the substrate. According to Victrex’s John Robinson, coatings technology leader, these all have performance limitations. Victrex worked with Alamo Supply (Houston, TX), which designed the PG550 Universal Flame Spray system. It features a gun nozzle that allows the spraying polymer to form a continuous coating. “A stream of Vicote powder coating passes through the gun and is heated to a temperature where the powder melts and is deposited at high velocity as ‘splats’ on the substrate,” Robinson says. “These splats overlap as the gun is traversed across the substrate to form a durable coating.” The crystalline structure of Vicote gives wear, abrasion, erosion, scratch, and corrosion resistance at high temperatures. —[email protected]