According to a recent report from Technavio, the top three emerging trends driving the global thermal spray market are: a growing demand for ceramic coatings; a rise in the use of plasma spraying; and increased demand from emerging markets. The market is mainly driven by increased demand from turbine manufacturers because of the growth of the power generation sector, especially in emerging countries in Asia-Pacific. The aerospace and defense industry is also driving the growth of the market with an increase in the need for aero-gas turbines.

The heat transfer coefficient for ceramic coatings is very low, which makes them a strong thermal barrier. As a result, the automotive, aerospace, oil and petrochemical, and food processing industries are increasingly using the thermal spray technique for ceramic coating. 

“As ceramic coatings can help protect from heat, they find applications in the automotive sector, particularly in engine exhaust system components such as exhaust manifolds, exhaust headers, cat boxes, turbochargers, and tail pipes,” said Sunil Kumar Singh, lead analyst.

The global thermal spray market is also witnessing an increase in the use of plasma spray techniques. The primary advantage of plasma spraying is that it can be used on a broad range of materials, including metals and ceramics. An important application of plasma spraying includes jet engines, which contain many components. Plasma spraying provides components with protection from high temperatures when they are exposed to combustion gases. The plasma spraying technique is also used for gas turbines to protect them from heat and on tungsten carbide/cobalt seal ring grooves. As plasma spraying offers wear resistance, it also finds applications in laser engraving. 

The global thermal spray market is witnessing an increase in demand from emerging economies such as India, China and Brazil. The rapid economic development in these countries, especially in Asia-Pacific, will contribute to the market growth. Due to the increased demand, several vendors have strengthened their supply chain networks and set up new production facilities in these countries. Russia is another key market where the demand for thermal spraying will be high. 

For more information, visit www.technavio.com.