What is Plasma?

Plasma is often referred to as the fourth state of matter. Plasma, like the other three states of matter (Solid, Liquid and gas) has it's own unique properties. Just as most substrates will become solid if cooled enough, any substance will become a plasma if heated enough. In a plasma the electrons are stripped from the atoms creating a substance that resembles a gas but that conducts electricity. Plasmas occur naturally on the earth in flames, electrical discharges, lightning bolts and the aurora borealis (Northern Lights).

The Solar Winds

A naturally occurring Plasma phenomenon where the earth is protected by it's magnetic field

The Plasmas created by this phenomena are called solar winds, most of which we are protected from by the earth's magnetic field.

Bodycote Metallurgical Coatings Limited use this energy when creating a plasma by passing an electric current through a gas such as argon or nitrogen. This provides an energy heat source of around 15,000 °C under high pressure which heats and propels the coating material onto the substrate.

The utilisation of this technology enables Bodycote Metallurgical Coatings Limited to spray almost any metallic or ceramic on to a huge range of materials with tremendous bond strength and without heating the substrate to cause distortion.