A system for spraying a coating material to a substrate includes an optical sensor that monitors a thickness, a controller that generates a first signal corresponding to an amount of gas propellant to be heated, a second signal corresponding to a temperature to which the gas propellant is to be heated, a third signal corresponding to an amount of a solid powder composition to be mixed with the heated gas, and a fourth signal corresponding to a distance between the nozzle and the substrate, a first regulator that supplies an amount of gas propellant corresponding to the first signal, a heater that heats the gas propellant to the temperature corresponding to the second signal, a second regulator that supplies an amount of solid powder composition corresponding to the third signal, and an actuator that moves the nozzle corresponding to the fourth signal.

Tunable thermoplastic polymer sealants and tunable conductive thermoplastic polymer sealants, and edge seals and fillet seals produced from such sealants; and substrates, components and objects comprising the tunable edge seals and fillet seals, and methods for making and applying such edge seals and fillet seals are disclosed.

The method for flame coating tubular elements provides for arranging a said tubular element (2) to be coated at a coating station, providing an applicator unit (3), operating in the coating station, in an inactive configuration, spaced from the tubular element (2), the applicator unit (3) carrying at least one thermoplastic powders flame applicator device (4) and being alternatively operable between the inactive configuration and an active configuration, approached radially to the tubular element (2). After having brought the applicator unit (3) towards the tubular element (2), the method provides for operating the same unit (3) in the active configuration, so as to peripherally engage the element (2) itself. The applicator device (4) is turned on, the thermoplastic powders are fed and the applicator device (4) is operated in motion around and/or along the tubular element (2) so as to flame coating it with a controlled flow of thermoplastic powders.

A thermal spray apparatus to apply coatings to external and internal surfaces in restricted areas is provided. The apparatus includes: a combustion chamber having a primary passage for combustion of fuel received through a fuel input line with oxygen or air received through an oxidizing gas input line; a divergence section located downstream of the combustion chamber; an elbow housing located downstream of the divergence section. A nozzle housing retaining a nozzle having an injection zone and a nozzle throat; a convergence section retained between the elbow housing and the nozzle housing; a feedstock injector for the injection of feedstock material into the injection zone of said nozzle; and a plurality of passageways extending through the combustion chamber, the divergence section, the elbow housing, and the convergence section for passing a coolant therethrough.

A thermal spray apparatus to apply coatings to external and internal surfaces in restricted areas is provided. The apparatus includes: a fuel input line; an oxidizing gas input line; coolant input and outlet; a combustion chamber that facilitates primary combustion; a diverging section that splits the primary combustion flow into two or more streams; an elbow section that redirects the combustion streams; a convergent/divergent nozzle; a convergence section that recombines the combustion streams into a single combustion stream within an injection zone of the convergent/divergent nozzle; and a feedstock injector for the injection of feedstock material for forming said coatings into said injection zone of the convergent/divergent nozzle; wherein the convergent/divergent nozzle has a nozzle throat downstream of the injection zone whereby in operation the injection pressure of the feedstock material upstream of the nozzle throat approximates the pressure of the combustion stream within the injection zone. The apparatus may also include the use of an accelerating gas.

The apparatus comprises a labyrinth mixing device designed to mix a first oxidizer gas and a fuel under pressure, and to inject the mixture produced in a combustion chamber, a torch's main body (1) housing the labyrinth mixing device (2) and connectors (7) for fuel and oxidizer gases, a torch's front part (3) defining, with the labyrinth mixing device (2), the internal geometry of the combustion chamber (4) comprising several second oxidizer gas injectors (32,33) for injecting separately a second oxidizer gas upstream in the combustion chamber to promote the combustion process and connecting down-stream to a gas expanding nozzle (50) designed to receive products of combustion of said mixture and form a high-velocity gaseous jet, an ignition device (30) to start combustion of said mixture, a material delivery device (6) designed to inject an spray material axially into said high-velocity gaseous jet. The labyrinth mixing device (2) comprises one or more flanges (23,24) which define one or more mixing volumes (21,22) and holes (25,26,27), concentrically placed both on the flanges (23,24) and passing through the mixing device (2) and opening at the downstream end of the mixing device (2) for connecting a feeding section (20) of the labyrinth mixing device (2) with the combustion chamber (4). The labyrinth mixing device (2) comprises a crossing axial bore (28) to inject the spray material into the combustion chamber (4).

Tunable thermoplastic polymer powder feedstock formulations and tunable conductive thermoplastic polymer powder feedstock formulations are disclosed for delivery to a high-velocity sprayer are presently disclosed, along with tunable coatings made from the disclosed formulations, and methods for delivering such tunable thermoplastic polymer coatings to substrates.

An apparatus and method perform supersonic cold-spraying to deposit N and P-type thermoelectric semiconductor, and other polycrystalline materials on other materials of varying complex shapes. The process developed has been demonstrated for bismuth and antimony telluride formulations as well as Tetrahedrite type copper sulfosalt materials. Both thick and thin layer thermoelectric semiconductor material is deposited over small or large areas to flat and highly complex shaped surfaces and will therefore help create a far greater application set for thermoelectric generator (TEG) systems. This process when combined with other manufacturing processes allows the total additive manufacturing of complete thermoelectric generator based waste heat recovery systems. The processes also directly apply to both thermoelectric cooler (TEC) systems, thermopile devices, and other polycrystalline functional material applications.

An apparatus and method perform supersonic cold-spraying to deposit N and P-type thermoelectric semiconductor, and other polycrystalline materials on other materials of varying complex shapes. The process developed has been demonstrated for bismuth and antimony telluride formulations as well as Tetrahedrite type copper sulfosalt materials. Both thick and thin layer thermoelectric semiconductor material is deposited over small or large areas to flat and highly complex shaped surfaces and will therefore help create a far greater application set for thermoelectric generator (TEG) systems. This process when combined with other manufacturing processes allows the total additive manufacturing of complete thermoelectric generator based waste heat recovery systems. The processes also directly apply to both thermoelectric cooler (TEC) systems, thermopile devices, and other polycrystalline functional material applications.

A method for fabricating an electrical conductor on a substrate by cold spraying includes propelling a solid powder composition that includes copper and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite using a gas propellant, and directing the solid powder composition towards the substrate at a velocity sufficient to cause the solid powder composition to undergo plastic deformation and to adhere to the substrate to deposit the electrical conductor thereon.