An Improved Coating Process for Steel Compressor Components - SermeTel Process 5380 DP 880879

Coatings continue to be used on steel compressor components to maximize component life and compressor efficiency. Aluminum-ceramic coatings have been used on steel compressor components for a quarter of a century. During this time, coating application processes have been continually refined for improved performance. These processes are reviewed and a new process included - SermeTel Process 5380 DP. In this process, both coating material and process changes are made to produce finished coatings having improved surface finish, corrosion resistance and erosion properties. Test data is presented for comparison with earlier coating systems.

For over twenty-five years, metallic-ceramic coatings have been successfully used on steel components of turbine engines to combat corrosion and erosion. The basic coating of this type, SermeTel W^®, continues to be used in a variety of applications and is a base line from which new and improved coating systems can be compared. But in the past twenty-five years, there have been many environmental and economic changes that impinge on turbine compressor operation. The pollution of the environment has worsened, fuel prices have skyrocketed and compressor temperatures have increased. Not surprisingly, coating systems based on SermeTel W also have changed to meet these new demands. Some of these changes have been reported at previous Airline Plating Forum meetings. ^{(1) (2)}