A Brief Introduction of TSCC

A Brief Introduction of TSCC

by Prof. Huang Xiaoou

The website of TSCC starts into operation, while some columns are still under construction. We are here waiting for your visit to our website and give us advice any time. For your convenience, the website has two versions, English and Chinese. Our aim is to build up an information exchange system between Chinese and overseas thermal spraying fields.

For your reference, I would like to make a brief introduction of the thermal spraying in China and say some words about our Committee.

In China, thermal spraying industry has experienced nearly a fifty-year history and has seen a great development in recent twenty years.

According to incomplete statistics, in 1998, the total output of China thermal spraying industry amounts to about 400 million RMB (the current exchange rate of RMB/USD: 8.3/1). The total national thermal spraying employees accounts to about 3,000 people and 350 organizations. Although the thermal spraying output in China only accounts to 11% of USA and 17% of Japan and is far from mature and saturation, it bears a lot of opportunities and a potential huge market.

Having experienced independent development and introduction of overseas technology for scores of years, at present, China has developed and manufactured equipment including vacuum plasma, air plasma, detonation spray system, PTA, arc spraying, powder flame, wire flame; materials including metal powder (Ni, Co and Fe based, totally 300tons/year), ceramic powder, cement powder (Al2O3, Al2O3+TiO2, Cr2O3, WC-Co, etc., totally 200tons/year), wires (Al, Zn, Cu, stainless steel, etc., totally 2,000 tons/year). China has become one of the several countries, which can basically fulfill the equipment and materials self supply.

Thermal Spraying technology has been broadly applied to aerospace, aircraft, iron & steel, petroleum chemical, steel anti-corrosion, machinery, light industry, textile, paper, power, shipping and many other industries, with a total output of approximately 200 million RMB per year. However, the main problem of applications is the small-scale production, uneven quality and backward management. It is very difficult to form a significant leader enterprise.

The main force of R&D still come from institutes and universities. The Chinese R&D level is below to Japan in Asia, and belongs to the second group in the world. The R&D of equipment concentrates on the research and manufacture of vacuum plasma, HVOF, high velocity arc spray, the development of detonation spray system, plasma spray, flame plastic spray. R&D of process mainly puts the emphasis on compound process, such as spraying+laser/induction/vacuum deposit, self-combustion process. Regarding to the materials, researches are mainly made on the ceramic powders, such as Al2O3+TiO2 and MCrAlY. For the coating design, performance, organization, inspection, measurement,

evaluation and quality control, the researches are emphasized on the TBC coating, high temperature and oxidation resistance cement coating, genetic engineering coating for their composition, stress distribution, microstructure and interface reactions. Main problems of R&D are the shortage of budget, wear out of research equipment, repeating choice of research project, low level of academic project and no close connections between the demand and application and market. These problems should be urgently solved.

The Thermal Spraying Committee of China Surface Engineering Association (TSCC), as the most authoritative and most attractive thermal spraying organization in China, has about 400 members (from aerospace and aircraft, chemical, petroleum, machinery, shipping, automobile, energy, light industry, etc.), with its own publications of Thermal Spraying Technology and Thermal Spraying Newsletter. Especially in recent years, it frequently held activities of thermal spraying, upgrading the exchange and cooperation with overseas and domestically, and improving the development of thermal spraying in China. It mainly undertakes the following international cooperation.

	Promote the sales and expand applications of overseas advanced thermal spraying technical equipment and materials. The Committee can be agent of an overseas companies, which are interested in Chinese market and welcomes the overseas membership as well as the advertisements on Thermal Spraying Technology.
	Assist the foreign companies to introduce their technology in China, e.g., holding seminars, discussions, market investigation, customers visit, etc. The Committee is able to carry out the above jobs effectively, with a strong staff team, mastering fluent English, Japanese, Germany languages and technical matters.
	Assist foreign companies to establish factories in China (equipment and materials jointly ventured, or solely owned), job shops, etc., to select partners; and to involve in the initiative feasibility study, management and technical issues.
	Upgrade the export of Chinese competitive thermal spraying products to the international market, e.g., plasma spraying equipment, such as PTA equipment, detonation spray system, HVOF system, as well as materials, e.g., Ni-base and Co-base powders, WC powders, RE powders, ceramic powders, Al and Zn wires, etc. On this aspect, we welcome the overseas company for cooperation, to become our agent or partners in your country.
	Jointly develop thermal spraying projects by China and overseas thermal spraying companies, taking advantages of each side, e.g., the overseas strong finance and technology and domestic low cost of technical, materials and labor in Chinese side, to develop the common market in Southeast Asia, Middle Asia, Africa and South America.

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