A method of operation of a
plasma torch and the
plasma apparatus to produce a hot gas
jet stream directed towards a workpiece to be coated by first injecting a cold
high pressure carrier gas containing a
powder material into a cold main
high pressure gas flow and then directing this combined
high pressure gas flow coaxially around a
plasma exiting from an operating
plasma generator and converging directly into the hot plasma
effluent, thereby mixing with the hot plasma
effluent to form a gas
stream with a net temperature based on the
enthalpy of the plasma
stream and the temperature and volume of the cold high pressure converging gas, establishing a net temperature of the gas
stream at a temperature such that the powdered material will not melt or soften, and projecting the
powder particles at
high velocity onto a workpiece surface. The improvement resides in mixing a cold high pressure carrier gas with
powder material entrained in it, with a cold
high pressure gas flow of gas prior to mixing this combined gas flow with the plasma
effluent which is utilized to heat the combined gas flow to an elevated temperature limited to not exceeding the
softening point or
melting point of the powder material. The resulting hot
high pressure gas flow is directed through a
supersonic nozzle to accelerate this heated gas flow to supersonic velocities, thereby providing sufficient velocity to the particles striking the workpiece to achieve a
kinetic energy transformation into elastic deformation of the particles as they
impact the onto the workpiece surface and forming a dense, tightly adhering cohesive
coating. Preferably the powder material is of metals, alloys, polymers and mixtures thereof or with semiconductors or ceramics and the powder material is preferably of a particle size range exceeding 50 microns. The
system also includes a rotating member for
coating concave surfaces and internal bores or other such devices which can be better coated using rotation.