Thermal Spray Coatings Market

Market Overview

The global thermal spray coatings market size was valued at USD $12.26 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD $19.13 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.06% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

In thermal spray coating processes, the substrate is struck by a stream of finely divided, high-velocity particles that are either molten or semi-molten and are used to deposit coatings. These procedures enhance or repair a solid substance's surface using finely powdered source material or, occasionally, a molten metal wire split into tiny droplets. The method protects against wear, erosion, cavitation, corrosion, abrasion, and heat while coating various materials and components. Furthermore, thermal spray can achieve lubricity, high or low friction, sacrificial wear, chemical resistance, and many other desirable surface qualities. These coatings are an effective alternative to several surface treatments such as nickel and chrome plating, nitride or heat treat processes, anodizing, and weld overlay. Depending on the coating material, they are typically thicker than plating, in the range of .002"-.025" thick.

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

• Growing Demand from the Healthcare Industry

In healthcare, thermal spray coatings are widely employed for numerous purposes, including pacemakers, dental implants, prosthetics, and orthopedics. These coatings exhibit wear resistance, corrosion resistance, high temperature, and biocompatibility. These coatings are porous and bio-active, enabling biomedical engineers to design implants more suited to interact with bone tissue. Thermal sprayed ceramic coatings on medical implantable exhibit easier cleaning and reprocessing due to hydrophobic properties. Moreover, they are 100% anti-allergic due to the absence of chromium and nickel on the surface layer, providing comfort to the patient.

The rising health concerns associated with a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits are likely to increase the number of patients suffering from various diseases, which is expected to boost the demand for implantable surgeries. Moreover, the rising geriatric population and increasing road accidents drive the demand for surgeries and medical devices. All these factors fuel the need for thermal spray coating and are expected to continue during the review period.

• Thermal Spraying Substituting Electroplating Processes

Thermal spraying is commercially competitive regarding hard chrome plating. Some benefits include energy costs, capital costs, material diversity, waste disposal, and space. For plating, about 15 W of energy is needed per square inch. The energy expenses increase proportionately with the size of the part. For thermal spraying, part size impacts the coating application time and is subject to the process used, while the energy costs can be similar. The relative capital cost for setting up facilities with the same production capacity is considerably lower for thermal spraying than chrome plating.

The disposal of effluents from the plating process is expensive due to the toxicity of hexavalent chromium. On the other hand, thermal spraying makes harmful waste, such as metallic dust, which can be thrown away quickly. Furthermore, the thickness of chrome plating is challenging to control. Certain advantages of thermal spraying include a higher deposition rate, denser coatings, fewer process steps, and no limitation on component size. The various benefits of thermal spraying over electroplating will likely drive market growth in the coming years.

Market Restraint

• Disadvantages Associated with Thermal Spraying Processes

Thermal spray coatings have various disadvantages. For instance, plasma spray coatings restrict surface access, and small-diameter internal bores are challenging as it is a line-of-sight process requiring automated gun manipulators. The high temperatures associated with the plasma jet can result in carbide decomposition or excessive oxidation when spraying in the air, giving carbide coatings with lower hardness or metallic coatings with higher oxide levels than HVOF-sprayed coatings. In addition, there is no evaluation or testing method for assessing how well the layer has adhered to the substrate. The process requires measures to combat noise, light, dust, and fumes, which is expected to hamper the market growth during the forecast period.

Market Opportunities

• Growing Application in Renewable Energy

The ability to produce dense coatings with low porosity makes thermal spray popular as a corrosion-protective coating in biomass incineration boilers, wind turbine towers, and geothermal piping systems. The hydropower sector is having trouble because of the effects of hard particles on the surfaces of renewable energy parts, such as the erosion of hydro turbine parts. Through the Thermal Spray Coatings HVOF process, dense coatings of tungsten carbide or chromium carbide can be made. These coatings have been shown to protect surfaces from erosion and corrosion. These coatings can also protect hydro turbines from slurry erosion.

Thermal spray coating is also used in wind energy, ensuring optimal operation of wind turbine components such as power systems, electronic control systems sensors, generators, power systems, gearboxes, and others. In addition, these coatings are used in biomass energy generation, geothermal energy generation, as well as renewable fuel cells. Hence, the demand for renewable energy from wind and hydropower technologies is increasing significantly, which is expected to create opportunities for the global thermal spray coatings market over the forecast period.

Regional Analysis

By region, the global thermal spray coatings market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

Asia-Pacific Dominates the Global Market

Asia-Pacific is the most significant shareholder in the global thermal spray coatings market and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.10% during the forecast period. The high market growth is mainly attributed to the increasing demand for thermal spray coatings from automotive, aerospace, oil and gas, and energy and power industries in major economies such as India, China, and Japan. Major aircraft producers like Airbus have established manufacturing facilities in the region. They are sourcing airplane parts from local companies in India, including the Tata Group, Dynamatic Technologies, and Mahindra Group Companies. As a result of the substantial need for automotive components that must withstand extremely high pressures and temperatures may help the market for thermal spray coatings in the area grow. Furthermore, China is the top Asia-Pacific producer and consumer of thermal spray coatings. In addition, India's market is significantly expanding owing to the surge in automotive, energy, power, chemical, and aerospace demand.

North America is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.05% over the forecast period. The strong demand from essential industries, including aerospace, oil and gas, automotive, medical, and power generation, is the primary driver of the market for thermal spray coatings in North America. The easy availability of raw materials in the region also fuels the growth of the global thermal spray coatings market. Additionally, the United States and Canadian governments are sponsoring initiatives to create advanced coatings and setting the thermal spray coatings standards that could catalyze market expansion. For instance, the Government of Canada announced in February 2022 that it would allocate USD 18.92 million (CAD 24 million) from the New Frontiers in Research Fund for a project to create novel molecular coatings that could reduce maintenance costs across industries like healthcare, infrastructure, automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics. The rise in R&D spending in the pharmaceutical industry is anticipated to stimulate demand for thermal spray coatings in Europe. Due to the high demand for crude oil and natural gas in Russia and manufacturers' increasing use of better oil recovery, the industry is likely to rise rapidly.

In Lain America, Brazil is one of the top producers of industrial jets and various aerospace products, including military, turboprop, recreational, general aviation aircraft, helicopters, and agricultural and agricultural aircraft. The growth in aerospace boosts the region's demand for the thermal spray coatings market. The world's largest oil producer is in the Middle East and Africa. It is anticipated that the existence of significant oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Libya, Iraq, Angola, and Iran will lead to strong product demand in the region's oil and gas business.

Additionally, it is projected that the expanding healthcare industry, particularly in the GCC nations, will further bolster the need for medical gadgets and open up attractive new growth prospects for the regional thermal spray coatings market. The Saudi National Committee for Steel Industry claims that the Saudi Arabian economy's main non-oil contributor is the steel industry. Also, the government is establishing special economic zones to entice foreign firms to establish production facilities in the nation and support the non-oil economy, which might help the developing steel sector and have a favorable effect on the market for thermal spray coatings.

Segmental Analysis

The global thermal spray coatings market is segmented by process, material, and end-user.

Based on Process, The global thermal spray coatings market is divided into combustion flame and electrical.

The combustion flame segment is responsible for the largest market share and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.55% over the forecast period. The most used method for thermal spray coating is combustion flame. Detonation, HVOC, and flame spraying are all parts of the combustion flame process. Flame spraying is widely used for low-intensity applications since it is affordable. In addition, the HVOF (High-Velocity Oxygen Fuel) process uses fuel gas and high-pressure oxygen to produce an extremely dense coating with little porosity and a solid bind to the metal substrate. Jet engine parts, automobile parts, gas turbines, and industrial equipment frequently use HVOF.

The electrical process in thermal spray coatings includes arc spraying and plasma spraying. Arc spraying is the most economical thermal spray coating process for applying corrosion-resistant metal coatings, including aluminum, zinc, and their alloys. Arc-sprayed coatings exhibit excellent adhesive and cohesive strength. In addition, plasma spraying is applied to coat surface materials that melt at very high temperatures. This process is used to apply thermal barrier materials, such as zirconia and alumina, and wear-resistant coatings, such as chromium oxide.

Based on Material, The global thermal spray coatings market is segmented into metals and alloys, ceramics, polymers, and others.

The metal and alloys segment owns the highest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.77% over the forecast period. Metal and alloy coating offers affordable surface treatments that increase conductivity, provide resistance to wear and erosion, and provide resistance to corrosion and oxidation. The segment also covers zinc-aluminum alloy coatings and superalloys made of tungsten, molybdenum, rhenium, niobium, stainless steels, NiCr alloys, cobalt-base Satellites, cobalt/nickel-based Tribaloys, cobalt/nickel-based NiCrBSi alloys. In addition, diesel engine cylinder coatings, piston rings or valve stems, turbine engine blades, vanes and combustors, corrosion-prone infrastructure, mining and agricultural machinery, and petrochemical pumps and valves are a few significant applications for metals and alloy coatings.

The thermal spray polymer or plastic coatings are primarily used for infrastructural applications and applied by flame spray or plasma spray. Several thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers are used in thermal spray coatings, including urethanes, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polycarbonate, polyimide, and copolymers such as polyimide/polyamide, Surlyn, and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). The demand for polymer flame spray coating is increasing in construction and infrastructural applications to coat steel, particularly under icy atmospheric conditions.

Based on End-User, The global thermal spray coatings market is segmented into aerospace, energy and power, automotive, healthcare, machinery, agriculture, electrical and electronics, and others.

The aerospace segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.17% over the forecast period. Increasing investment in the defense sector, improving commercial aviation networks, growth of the tourism industry, economic development, and an increase in the number of air passengers is expected to fuel aircraft production, thereby driving the demand for thermal spray coatings.

Thermal spray coatings are widely employed for thermal insulation of critical components, high-temperature oxidation and corrosion control, and abrasion and wear resistance. In the hydropower sector, HVOF thermal spray coating protects surfaces from erosion and corrosion caused by acid or alkaline water conditions. In the wind energy sector, thermal spray coatings are used to ensure the optimal operation of wind turbine components and elongate the life span of the wind turbine. Increasing investment in the development of hydropower and wind power plants is expected to drive the demand for thermal spray coatings manufacturers in the market during the forecast period.

Recent Developments

November 2022- Bodycote increased its capacity for thermal spray coatings in the Middle East. To expand the business in the area, particularly in Saudi Arabia, Bodycote teamed with Mathevon Group. The partnership brings together the skills of Mathevon, which makes internal gate valve parts for the oil and gas industry, and Bodycote, which makes thermal spray coatings for the industry.

September 2022- Surface Technology stated that they are approved to sell and put on the Resimac coatings and repair materials made of epoxy, polyurethane, and silicon that do not use solvents. Customers who require metal or rubber component repair or resurfacing, have problems with wear or abrasion or require a chemically resistant coating for parts or process equipment are good candidates for the Resimac product line.