Plasma metallisation or thermal spraying is a metallisation or plasma arc spraying process. Materials with the same or better mechanical and chemical properties are typically injection moulded, especially ceramics and other high-temperature fusible metallic and non-metallic materials. Common applications for plasma metallisation include the repair of various worn machine elements, corrosion protection and surface enhancement. The additive material is in the form of a fine powder or wire, which is automatically fed into the plasma arc. The main characteristics of plasma arc welding are the very high temperature, the high particle velocity and a relatively large voltage drop. Several different methods of plasma metallisation are known, the most common being plasma sputtering with a non-transferred arc, and plasma sputtering with both transferred and non-transferred arcs.
