A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO THERMAL SPRAY AND OTHER METAL/POLYMER DEPOSITION PROCESSES AND THEIR POTENTIAL USE IN THE OIL INDUSTRY

Polymeric coatings are being used in a raising number of applications, contributing to protection against weather conditions and localized corrosion, also reducing erosion wear. The coatings may be deposited by various processes and thermal spray is being recently investigated as a new alternative. This paper reports an exploratory study into various polymer deposition processes and evaluates their influence on the quality of the produced coating, concerning dispersion, cohesiveness and adhesion onto steel substrates. Different content aluminum/MDPE (medium density polyethylene) mixtures and processing parameters were studied as an attempt to identify the most promising parameters regarding their future application to produce coatings for the oil industry. The material characterization was carried out via mechanical testing (ASTM D638). The coating adhesion was evaluated by bend and ASTM C633-79 tensile tests. A microscopy evaluation of the coatings was also carried out. The produced films showed low friction surfaces and adequate adhesion to steel substrates. The presence of MAN (maleic anhydride) in the composite was responsible for the MDPE to recover its ductility, with a small increase of strength and rigidity, as well as a significant enhancement of coating adhesion to substrate.