Originally developed by the Government laboratory at Harwell for the nuclear energy industry, and used effectively by Formula One and WRC teams, Zircotec’s high temperature plasma-sprayed ceramic coating provides a lightweight, easily packaged and highly durable thermal barriers suitable for a wide range of highly aggressive environments. Zircotec’s zirconia-based ceramics have a thermal efficiency of less than 1.7 W/m K (compared with 4 W/m K for alumina), creating a coating that is very effective at inhibiting the radiation of heat from a surface.

The deposition technique uses a carefully optimised high-temperature plasma spraying process carried out either manually or using one of two robotic systems at the business’s Harwell technical centre. The surface is first prepared by grit blasting to clean the substrate and give it a key to enhance adherence of the coating, then a special bond coat is applied, also using the plasma spray. This is a key stage as the bond coat accommodates the high thermal expansion and contraction that the component will experience in its working cycle, contributing to its exceptional durability,

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