The very first research activity initiated at the University related to thermal spraying (TS) and, over the last two decades, TS has continued to be an important cornerstone of research efforts at the University. Today, TS research is part of the Division of Mechanical Engineering and benefits from the considerable experience that resides within the group as well as the presence of state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Unique Spray Facilities
The group’s current position as a global leader in TS research is facilitated by the availability of two following spray systems:
- An axial feed capable atmospheric plasma spray (APS) system, providing the highest thermal energy among all TS variants.
- A high velocity air fuel (HVAF) spray system, relying on very high kinetic energy to compensate for low temperature processing.
The above combination lends a strong versatility to the group’s processing capabilities that are available at only few TS groups worldwide. The spray facilities are also complemented by a range of allied equipment for process monitoring, coating characterisation and performance assessment in diverse environments.
Research Focus
Over the years, with the aid of a multitude of projects supported by the KK foundation and other funding agencies, such as Swedish Energy Agency (EM), Vinnova, Swedish Research Council (VR) and EU, a scientifically strong research environment in TS has been developed. The research efforts straddle both process development to expand possibilities, tailor coating properties and enhance process productivity, as well as application development to demonstrate suitability of TS for varied applications.
Novel processing approaches:
The group has considerably expanded its processing capabilities by employing powders, suspensions and solution precursors for coating formation, with highly controllable coating microstructures – from porous to dense, and from columnar to dense vertically cracked. More recently, different types of ‘hybrid’ feedstock have also been used in tandem to create novel function-dependent coating architectures. With this, the group has expanded its research base further into new areas such as biocompatible, photocatalytic and luminescent layers, as well as coatings for fuel cell and battery components.
Functionalities addressed:
For many years, the group’s research focus was oriented towards development of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) primarily for aero-engine and land-based gas turbine applications as well as automotive industry. Over the past few years, the research group has gradually extended its expertise towards other applications such as coatings for environmental barriers, wear resistance and corrosion protection.
Collaborations
The TS Group is very well connected nationally and internationally. Being the best equipped thermal spray laboratory in an academic environment within Sweden has largely been responsible for facilitating a large collaboration network that has included leading thermal spray groups as well as companies both within Sweden and abroad. Some key collaborators in each of these categories are listed below merely as an example:
Research Groups
Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy
IPP, Czechia
Technical University – Chemnitz, Germany
Stony Brook University, USA
Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
Indian Institutes of Technology – Bombay, Kanpur, Ropar, India
University of Stuttgart, Germany
Tampere University of Technology, Finland
University of Turku, Finland
MAX IV – European Spallation Source, Sweden
Industrial partners
Pratt & Whitney – USA
Safran – France
Saint Gobain – France
MAN Energy Solutions – Denmark
Treibacher – Austria
Oerlikon Metco – Switzerland
GKN Aerospace
Siemens
Höganäs
Sandvik
Andritz
ABB
Scania
Volvo Penta
Volvo Trucks
Volvo Cars
AC Floby
TSE
LiFeSiZe
