| ign="center"> | | | | the metallurgical characteristics of the substrate |
| The field of thermal spray coatings is an exciting | | | | material. Unlike electroplating, thermal spray |
| area for students of metallurgical engineering that | | | | processes do not generate a tremendous amount |
| are looking for a career filled with new | | | | of hazardous waste streams whose disposal |
| developments. The traditional fields of foundry | | | | costs can be prohibitive. |
| metallurgy both ferrous and non-ferrous foundry | | | | The metallurgy of thermal sprayed coatings is a |
| applications, the metallurgy of heat treating, | | | | field in itself. Thermal sprayed coatings inherently |
| welding, brazing, etc are always there for the | | | | exhibit porosity and metallurgical polishing |
| metallurgist to get involved in. However, thermal | | | | techniques that differentiate between inherent |
| spray coatings is an exciting field for metallurgists | | | | porosity in the coating versus artificially induced |
| that covers commercial industrial areas as well as | | | | porosity by poor polishing techniques is a major |
| aerospace and medical areas of industry. | | | | problem for metallurgists. One could study the |
| Thermal spray coatings allow the alteration of | | | | interfacial metallurgical phenomena between the |
| surface behavior of components by the | | | | coating and the substrate, especially in certain |
| application of a variety of materials to a variety | | | | thermal sprayed coatings that are subjected to a |
| of substrates. You could coat a metal-polymer | | | | post coating heat treatment. Porosity and void |
| composite coating on to a metallic substrate or | | | | migration in thermal spray coatings subjected to |
| conversely you could coat a metallic coating on to | | | | high temperatures during service is another field |
| a polymer substrate This is possible because the | | | | of interest for metallurgical researchers. Stresses |
| surface being coated does not get very hot | | | | and stress reduction in thermal spray coatings is |
| during the coating process. Parts that have | | | | more of a mechanical metallurgy interdisciplinary |
| already been brazed and heat treated can be | | | | area of research and this is one where the |
| successfully thermal sprayed without deteriorating | | | | aspiring metallurgist can make a career in. |