Dr. Justin Cheney, Oerlikon Metco, San Diego, Calif., detailed how “big data” techniques can help determine the best alloy for coating power generation equipment in his ITSC 2018 presentation, The Design of Readable Arc Spray Alloys for Boilers Using Big Data Techniques.
These coatings must typically be applied over large surface areas cost effectively; they must be resistant to extreme erosion and/or corrosion; they must function at high temperatures; and finally, if possible, the thickness of the coatings should be readable with standard equipment such as an elcometer.
Simultaneously meeting all these requirements and advancing the alloy technology is a daunting if not impossible task if done via experiments alone or through scientific intuition. However, the design of new alloys which must possess a variety of attributes simultaneously is well suited for “big data” techniques. The calculation of millions of alloys and advanced data mining techniques help to quickly identify the best alloy for the application.
This paper details how this process was used to design Metco 8294, a proprietary alloy. Metco 8294 is unique in that it is an iron-based alloy of high hardness, coating adhesion, and erosion resistance, and is readable in the as-sprayed condition and after high temperature exposure.
