Industrial Applications for Polymers with Release Properties in Combination with Thermal Spray Coatings

Thermal spray coatings enhance the physical properties of substrates with improvements in many areas including wear, corrosion resistance, and electrical or thermal conductivity.  Release, or non-stick properties due to low surface energy, are not typically available.   Polymer coatings can provide release properties but are low in durability.  The combination of polymers for release and thermal spray coatings for wear can produce unique solutions for many types of industrial challenges.  In most cases, the selection of a particular coating system is a compromise based on multiple factors.  Release level, wear, and surface texture are factors as well as the operating temperature and chemical environment.  The release material is normally applied over an as-sprayed thermal spray coating of controlled texture, but it also penetrates the porosity in the coating.  As the coating system wears, the polymer in the valleys and pores of the thermal spray coating are exposed contributing to excellent release characteristics throughout the life of the coating.  Industrial applications for release coatings are numerous and comparative performance data is often generated on the production line.  An accelerated standardized test has been developed that measures release performance over the life of the coating which correlates very well to field conditions.  A general discussion of the combination of thermal spray coatings and polymers with release properties is discussed with examples of industrial applications.  Production rates were increased, scrap and maintenance reduced, along with improvements in product quality and material handling in various cases.