Spraytime

ITSA Names New Vice Chair

The International Thermal Spray Association (ITSA) has elected Ashley Hunsaker as its new vice chair. Hunsaker has been the CEO of HTS Coatings LLC, Madison, Ill., a thermal spray, machining, and grinding company she founded and has operated alongside her husband, Jason, since 2015. HTS Coatings has been a member of ITSA for two years.

Hunsaker earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting from Pensacola Christian College in 2004. She is a member of C12 Group, an organization for Christian business leaders, and the Illinois Manufacturing Association. She is also on the board of the National Tooling and Machining Association St. Louis Chapter.

Feintool and SITEC Team Up with Impact Coatings for Fuel Cell Component Production

Feintool, Lyss, Switzerland, a manufacturer of metallic high-precision components, and partner SITEC, Chemnitz, Germany, are collaborating with Swedish coating specialist Impact Coatings AB. This nonexclusive cooperation enables Feintool to offer customers a comprehensive solution for producing ready-to-install metallic bipolar plates and interconnects for fuel cells and electrolyzers, covering the entire process, from early development to high-volume production.

Impact Coatings specializes in physical vapor deposition (PVD), a clean coating process for modifying and enhancing surface properties with minimal environmental impact. PVD, along with the corresponding quality control, complements Feintool’s coating capability, which is an integral step in the production of bipolar plates and interconnects.

Metallic bipolar plates and interconnects constitute the cores of fuel cells and electrolyzers. These high-precision components enable efficient gas flow, cooling, and electrical connection at low production costs. Several hundred plates are layered to form the fuel cell or electrolyzer stack.

This collaboration supports Feintool and SITEC’s strategic goal of becoming a leading supplier of metallic bipolar plates and interconnects.

Kymera International Acquires Coating Center Castrop GmbH

Kymera International, Research Triangle Park, N.C., a global specialty materials and surface technologies company, has acquired Coating Center Castrop GmbH (CCC), a comprehensive thermal spray and precision machining company providing complete design, fabrication, and finish machining solutions for the aerospace, marine propulsion, pharmaceutical, and general industrial markets. Located in Castrop-Rauxel, Germany, CCC provides its European customers with advanced engineering and thermal spray service applications that mitigate the impact of extreme wear on high-value components.

This acquisition strengthens Kymera’s position in the thermal spray services market and benefits both companies through the expansion of technological capabilities and a broadened global footprint that now includes the United States, Canada, and Germany. The addition of CCC brings advanced component engineering, fabrication, and CNC machining capabilities to Kymera’s Surface Technologies business and a European HaloJet ID HVOF™ service center, enabling localized aerospace landing gear service to regional customers.

“Kymera’s Surface Technologies business is differentiated by our ability to provide high-performing, comprehensive, and customized thermal spray solutions with superior service and support,” said Barton White, CEO of Kymera International. “The acquisition of CCC further solidifies our ability to provide regional service on a global scale and support our strategic growth initiatives in the aerospace industry with our HaloJet ID HVOFTM technology.”

Researchers Uncover Breakthrough in Thermal Barrier Coatings to Boost Gas Turbine Efficiency and Sustainability

Researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA), Charlottesville, Va., and Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., have made a discovery in thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) that could significantly enhance the performance and efficiency of gas turbines, key components in power plants, and jet engines.

The study, titled “Optical Absorption Study of Iron-Substituted Zirconia and Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Using Experimental Measurements and Many-Body Perturbation Theory,” was conducted by Shunshun Liu and Prasanna V. Balachandran from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UVA, along with Victor K. Champagne III and David R. Clarke from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Their study examines how substituting iron into yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) impacts the material’s ability to absorb radiative heat in the near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, potentially leading to innovations that improve the efficiencies of energy systems we rely on every day.

“Our research shows that by substituting iron into YSZ, we can fine-tune the material’s optical absorption properties, which has direct implications for controlling heat transfer,” said PhD student and lead researcher Liu. “This could lead to turbines that run cooler, last longer, and operate more efficiently, contributing to a more sustainable energy future.”

For the average person, this advancement could translate into lower fuel costs for airlines, resulting in more affordable flights and a smaller environmental footprint. It could also lead to cheaper electricity bills as power plants become more efficient and require less maintenance.

Professor Prasanna V. Balachandran, coauthor from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at UVA and Liu’s adviser, highlighted the broader applications of this work.

“This work opens exciting possibilities for thermal, environmental, and, now, radiation barrier coatings in everything from energy systems to advanced manufacturing, where precision heat control is critical for innovation,” he said.

The discovery has promising implications for extending the lifespan of critical infrastructure. Managing heat more effectively could reduce wear and tear on turbines, resulting in fewer costly repairs and minimizing downtime in power generation.

An Alternate Approach to Fabricating Strengthened Steel

Researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Wash., and Ames National Laboratory, Ames, Iowa, have developed a new, more efficient method for fabricating oxide-dispersion-strengthened (ODS) steel, a critical material for fusion power plants. By combining cold spray deposition and friction stir processing, the team has produced fully dense ODS steel plates with practical strength and ductility, significantly improving manufacturing efficiency and material quality.

Traditional ODS steel production is labor intensive and costly, involving multiple steps that often lead to inconsistent microstructures. This new approach simplifies the process, eliminating the need for complex rolling and thermal treatments, and produces a material with a uniform microstructure and enhanced physical properties. The combination of cold spray deposition and friction stir processing results in a refined material with a high density of nano-sized oxide particles known to strengthen the steel.

This breakthrough could reduce the overall cost of producing ODS steel and make it easier to scale up for large-scale applications in fusion power plants, which require materials that can withstand extreme conditions. The team’s findings provide a promising alternative to current manufacturing methods and open the door to more affordable, durable materials for future energy systems.

For more information, see “Manufacturing Oxide Dispersion Strengthened (ODS) Steel Plate via Cold Spray and Friction Stir Processing” by Wang, X., Zhang, D., Darsell, J. T., et al. in the Journal of Nuclear Materials Vol. 596.

Aalberts Adds Steel Goode Products

Aalberts N.V., Utrecht, Netherlands, a hydronic flow control and treatment system manufacturer, has acquired Steel Goode Products LLC (SGP), generating an annual revenue of approximately $15 million with 75 full-time-equivalent employees.

SGP operates two facilities in Texas and one in Ohio. The company provides thermal spraying and finishing services, specializing in enhancing wear resistance and corrosion protection for a wide range of critical components.

This acquisition aligns with Aalberts’s group strategy to expand its presence in the United States, strengthen its service network in the Southern region, and expand its geographic footprint in the Northeast.