Plasma Projection - Zirconia (ZrO2)
Plasma-sprayed zirconia (ZrO2) is primarily used as a refractory barrier for applications requiring resistance to extremely high temperatures. Zirconium oxide is distinguished by its tetragonal crystallographic structure, offering exceptional hardness (up to 1200 HV) and notable mechanical strength. It exhibits impressive tensile (700 MPa) and compressive (2000 MPa) performances, making it a material particularly suitable for harsh conditions.
Zirconia’s unique thermal properties give it a low coefficient of thermal conductivity at room temperature, making it ideal for applications requiring thermal barriers or insulating coatings. Thanks to its ability to be ground and polished to a roughness index Ra of 0.2, zirconia is used in many industries such as energy, automotive, and medicine.
Benefits
– High temperature resistance: Ideal for applications subjected to extreme temperatures.
– Hard coating: Provides high-performance mechanical protection in harsh environments.
– Chemical inertness: Resists most chemicals, making it a versatile material.
Features
– Excellent mechanical properties at high temperatures.
– Low thermal conductivity at room temperature, maintaining effective thermal insulation.
– Coating thickness: From 0.1 to 0.6 mm, providing customized protection according to needs.
– Hardness: Between 900 and 1200 HV, depending on the composition of the powders used, ensuring remarkable wear resistance.
– Surface finish: Untreated or Ra < 0.2 µm for applications requiring an ultra-smooth surface.
– Thermal resistance: Can withstand temperatures up to 1500°C, ideal for extremely high-temperature environments.
– Chemical inertness: Resistant to corrosive and chemical environments.
Typical application
– Crucibles: Used for applications requiring high temperature and corrosion resistance.
– Casting Nozzles: Ideal for manufacturing processes where thermal and mechanical resistance are essential.
– Heating Elements: Ideal for components subject to high temperature variations.
– Insulating Coating: Thermal protection for equipment subjected to high temperatures.
– Ionic Conductor: Use in applications requiring ion transfer while maintaining thermal insulating properties.
Zirconia plasma spray coating is a preferred choice in the most demanding applications, where resistance to heat, wear, and chemicals is crucial.
