Colombia ARC SPRAYED COATINGS ON INFRASTRUCTURE ELEMENTS TO PROTECT THEM FROM CORROSION AND ABRASION

Why to do Thermal Spray

Abstract

Infrastructure is the set of works, structures, and other capital goods that an economy has. In this way, elements such as roads, railways, irrigation systems, sewage systems, houses, dams, schools and electrical distribution networks will be included.

The more developed the infrastructure in a country, the greater its productive capacity must also be. First world countries are a clear example of this development and are a benchmark for emerging economies like Colombia.

In some elements of the infrastructure, we can find a phenomenon that impacts the economy from the point of view of maintenance costs, and that is corrosion, a problem that has already been solved in Europe and the United States with thermoforming processes. sprayed, mainly Arc Spray and Flame Spray.

High voltage masts, as well as bridges and structures among other elements have been protected against corrosion with these two methods.

The challenge now for the region is to take advantage of these experiences and adapt successful applications to the local environment. All in search of productivity.

In the electric arc process, two metallic wires are used, preferably of the same composition, which are electrically charged with opposite polarity and are fed towards the arc gun at adapted and controlled speeds. When the wires meet at the point of contact, an arc is created that continuously melts the ends. A stream of compressed air is used to atomize the already molten material and accelerate it over the work surface to form the coating.

In the flaming process the wire spray material melts into an oxygen-fuel gaseous flame. The fuel can be acetylene, propane or hydrogen. The wire is fed concentrically into the flame, where it is melted and atomized by the addition of compressed air which also drives the molten material towards the surface of the work piece.

With the Arc spray process, high-voltage masts have been internally coated with aluminum and zinc alloy wire, zn-coated gas cylinders, containers coated with Zn, Zn-Aluminum or Aluminum, digesters and boiler tubes with iron alloys. and nickel alloys. They have also used paints on the thermos pray, to give presentation and more protection.

With the flame process, pipes have been coated under insulation with aluminum wire, marine platforms with Aluminum Magnesium alloy, and structures such as bridges and water towers coated with aluminum and zinc. Paints have also been used on the thermal spray, to give presentation and more protection.

These applications could be said to be null in the country, but they could increase in the coming years due to the growth that has taken place in infrastructure, for which it is necessary for new companies to emerge or for companies dedicated to corrosion protection to adapt this technology and In this way they increase their portfolio to meet the demand to come.