Owing
to stable commodity prices, rise in penetration of the aerial mode of
transportation, and recovery in the global domestic gross product (GDP), the
aerospace industry has witnessed impressive growth. Further, the improvement in
GDP has led the governments of many nations, such as India, the U.S., China,
and Japan to increase their defense budget as well as make provisions to
further boost the aerospace industry. Take the example of the Asia-Pacific
(APAC) region where in the next twenty years, China is expected to spend more
than $1.1 trillion on aircraft. Further, in the region, with the increasing
spending power of people, they are preferring air travel as the mode of
transportation. These factors are leading to the growing demand for aircraft
both for commercial and defense purposes, which in turn, is influencing the demand
for thermal sprays. These are used as coatings in turbo-machinery including
high-pressure turbine seals, bearings, airframe, compressor seals, rotor-path
linings, and engine components and help improve fuel dynamics and efficiency,
prevent wear, and reduce maintenance costs.
Thermal sprays are essentially coating materials which are available in rod/wire and powder forms. These are applied on different components at a high temperature to provide protection against wear, corrosion, erosion, and any other damages. Thermal spray materials can be ceramic, metal, polymer or other material-based. These sprays are of two types: wire/rod and powder. All throughout the 2014–2018 period, the rod/wire type thermal spray materials were higher in demand, as they provide high-quality coating and, at the same time, minimize any wastage of the material. The wire/rod is inserted into the gun/torch, which is then heated above the melting point to form molten droplets of the material. They are then accelerated in a gas stream and sprayed onto the substrate for coating. In the near future as well, the wire/rod thermal spray materials would remain popular between the two. A P&S Intelligence study has estimated the thermal spray materials market to advance at a 7.4% CAGR amassing $2,869.2 million in coming years.
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These
materials are used in various end use industries, namely medical devices,
automotive, oil & gas, aerospace, electronics, industrial gas turbines, and
energy & power. The aerospace industry has been the largest user of thermal
spray materials, as these materials enhance fuel efficiency, support
longevity, and reduce maintenance costs of aerospace and aviation components. They
are exposed to harsh conditions, such as extreme pressure and heat, and thermal
spray materials help protect these components against high wear and tear by
forming a protective covering on them. In the coming years, the fastest growth
in demand for these materials is expected to be witnessed by the energy &
power industry.
One
of the novel spray methodologies, cold gas dynamic spraying, also known as
kinetic spraying, is trending in the market. The method is based on bombarding
solid particles at high velocities on the surface of materials to form
coatings. Inert gases are used and metal
powder particles are accelerated at a supersonic speed, which are then impacted
at the material surface. The process is being preferred by users as it exhibits
a deposition efficiency of 90 % and is highly compatible with metals and alloys
of copper, titanium, aluminum, and nanocrystalline materials. Further, it
offers easy recyclability of the sprayed raw material and doesn’t require fuel
combustion. The adoption of cold spray process is becoming popular with
technological advancements in the spray technology, such as feedstock
optimization, the introduction of process compatible raw materials, and
non-destructive testing.
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