Advancements in Electrospark Deposition (ESD) Technique: A Short Review

Abstract

The need to use components with improved surface characteristics in relation to severe operating conditions, together with the aim of cost reduction associated with the replacement of damaged components, has led to an increasing use of coatings and repairing processes. The most common deposition processes are generally characterized by high equipment costs and, sometimes, by long deposition time. Furthermore, some repair technologies, especially those characterized by high heat input, are not suitable for alloys used in aerospace applications due to the degradation of their mechanical characteristics. In the last decades, a novel eco-friendly method capable of overcoming the limits set out above emerged: the electrospark deposition (ESD) technology. Thanks to its efficiency, simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and low heat input, this technology has proved to be suitable both for improving surface properties, such as thermo and wear resistance, higher hardness and corrosion resistance, and for the repair of high-value components. The aim of this review is to describe in detail some aspects of the ESD technique to understand the ESD processing preparation of alloys normally considered difficult to weld by traditional processes and to give some important clues to the readers to contribute to the defect-free repair of damaged areas and coatings deposition.

Research Progress in Electrospark Deposition Coatings on Titanium Alloy Surfaces: A Short Review

“…In the early 1970s, the Central Electric Research Institute in the Soviet Union developed a series of ESD equipment [15]. In the 1980s, Lazarenko's theory was put into practice by the Institute of Applied Physics of the Soviet Union's Moldavian Academy of Sciences, leading to the development of the 3H series of equipment, which was successfully applied in industrial fields [16]. With the rapid development of industrial equipment, the experimental factory of the Institute of Applied Physics in Moldova started using new ESD equipment with thyristors and transistors, significantly improving the operability of the equipment and the quality of the deposited layers on the components.…”

Protective Heterophase Coatings Produced by Pulsed Electrospark Depostioin and High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering

“…К распространенным методам осаждения покрытий относятся электроискровое осаждение [28][29][30][31][32][33] и магнетронное распыление (МР) [34][35][36][37].…”

Synthesis of Multicomponent Coatings by Electrospark Alloying with Powder Materials

“…In the traditional electrospark alloying process, for periodic excitation of discharges between the electrodes, the compact electrodes in the form of bars are vibrated with a frequency of 100 Hz or more or rotated at 600-800 rpm. Standard compact electrodes are obtained on the basis of the carbides of IV-VI group transition metals of the periodic system and are used mainly to increase the hardness of the working surfaces of machine parts and, consequently, to increase their service life [5][6][7][8][9]. The most common standardized electrodes, T15K6 (79%WC + 15%TiC + 6%Co), BK6 (94%WC + 6%Co) and BK8 (92% WC + 8%Co), are obtained from titanium carbides (TiC) and tungsten (WC) [10].…”

“…It should be noted that in recent years, a significant number of studies have appeared where the authors use the method of electrospark alloying to increase the wear resistance of machine parts [7][8][9]12,13]. However, in these works, the ESA method is used only as a tool for solving their specific problems, and not a single work raises the question of its modernization.…”