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Hi. I'm Bryan Harder from the Durability and Protective Coatings Group.
Behind me is the Plasma Spray Physical Vapor Deposition Rig here at NASA Glenn Research Center.
This rig allows us to both melt and vaporize ceramic material to protect both metal and
ceramic engine components.
These new engine components will allow us to create the next generation of gas-turbine
engine technology.
During a run process, our samples are mounted to a metallic plate, which is then loaded
on our sample-mounting arm.
The chamber is closed, and the entire system is evacuated to a pressure of 1 Torr, which
is one 760th of atmosphere.
The plasma is then created from the torch, which extends the length of the chamber.
The temperature of this flame can reach 6 to 10,000 Kelvin (17,540 degrees Fahrenheit),
which both melts and vaporizes our ceramic material.
The vaporized material condenses on the target substrates, and a coating is created.
After the run, the chamber is brought back up to pressure, and the samples are removed for testing.
So after the deposition is complete, we're left with a nice thin layer of ceramic on our samples.
These can now be removed from the plate and submitted for testing.
Thanks for stopping by.