Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/K87470/01
Title:	VITREOUS ENAMELLING BY PLASMA SPRAYING
Principal Investigator:	Gawne, Professor DT
Other Investigators:	Zhang, Professor T
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	Pre Nexus Migration
Department:	Sch of Engineering Systems & Design
Organisation:	London South Bank University
Scheme:	LINK
Starts:	01 July 1996	Ends:	30 November 1999	Value (£):	159,582
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Processing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Manufacturing
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
The fundamental advantage of plasma spraying over traditional enamelling processes is that its heat source is separated from the substrate. In conventional enamelling, the coating material and the substrate are heated together one or more times in a furnace to 850oC, whereas in plasma spraying the coating powder is melted in the plasma and the temperature of the substrate can be maintained at 150oC throughout the coating process. In addition, plasma spray deposition is a single-stage operation and the substrate temperature may be raised in-situ before, during or after deposition in order to improve quality. This inherent flexibility in manufacturing has the potential of enabling large-scale improvements in throughput and energy efficiency, circumventing traditional defects such as fishscaling and pinholing, and presenting the possibilities of in-situ defect repair and on-site enamelling of large structures. The project will use computer modelling, heat transfer theory and material science to adapt plasma spraying for the manufacture of enamels. Enamel coatings will be plasma sprayed and optimised from frits of conventional compositions and on the basis of the results, a series of novel compositions will be used to exploit the unique advantages of plasma spraying. The work will include a modification of the plasma equipment in order to enhance adhesion and surface finish. Demonstration trials will be undertaken involving the manufacture of experimental frits and feedstock powders, the production of selected engineering components, plasma spraying using optimised parameters and evaluation under industrial conditions.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Organisation Website:	http://www.lsbu.ac.uk