Heat management specialist Zircotec Group has opened an R&D facility to accelerate the development of new thermal coatings, heat shields and manufacturing processes for customers which include the auto industry.
The facility is headed by Paul Prince, a chemist with a nanotechnology background, and will provide data on high temperature performance of thermal barrier coatings.
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"Unlike academic research, our activities will provide an immediate commercial benefit for our customers by enabling us to select the optimum solutions for their individual applications more quickly," said Prince. "We can compress the timescale for each new application by using a comprehensive database on material performance to guide the initial selection, reducing the number of design iterations needed to reach the optimum result. The facility will also enable us to develop new solutions and advance our manufacturing processes."
The test rig uses a controlled heat source to evaluate coatings and heat shields at gas temperatures up to 900°C but can also generate data at much lower temperatures. Two engineers are working with the rig on projects that will result in new products and cost effective processes to manufacture them.
The coatings and processes developed will be applicable to heat shields, surrounding components and directly onto the heat source itself.
"For some applications we recommend one of our high-performance, ultra-thin heat shield materials, whether structural or flexible; for others we offer direct coating of the exhaust," said Prince. "We regularly coat carbon composite and plastic materials; our plasma application process gives such good adherence that the coating can tolerate the flexing associated with these parts."
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By GlobalDataGrowing demand from the automotive industry for products to manage today's higher exhaust line temperatures led to development of the new facility.
"Pressures to reduce emissions and improve engine efficiency are leading to powertrain strategies that continually increase exhaust temperatures," Prince said. "For example, the use of alternative fuels, such as natural gas in place of petrol or diesel, can raise the exhaust temperature by 200°C. Accommodating such a large increase within a packaging space that is often highly constrained requires advanced thermal barrier technology."
