Considerable progress has been made over the last decades in thermal spray technologies, practices and applications. However, like other technologies, they have to continuously evolve to meet new problems and market requirements. This article aims to identify the current challenges limiting the evolution of these technologies and to propose research directions and priorities to meet these challenges. It was prepared on the basis of a collection of short articles written by experts in thermal spray who were asked to present a snapshot of the current state of their specific field, give their views on current challenges faced by the field and provide some guidance as to the R&D required to meet these challenges. The article is divided in three sections that deal with the emerging thermal spray processes, coating properties and function, and biomedical, electronic, aerospace and energy generation applications.

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Fuel cells directly convert chemical energy into electrical energy with the potential of very high-efficiency values, because they are not subjected to the Carnot relationship. Of the different fuel cell types in particular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) meet a high interest for different applications due to their specific advantageous properties. They operate in the high temperature range around and above 800°C and consist in the electrochemical active part mainly of ceramic material. Their economic and technical breakthrough depends still on the success to realize them with high quality, reliability, and efficiency and in particular with acceptable and attractive costs. Different manufacturing methods are in application or under development for the production of the cell components. Beneath these methods are also plasma spray technologies. This review will show the specific demands, the performed and ongoing work, the state of development and especially the required R + D goals to render this type of methods successful.

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