Influence of water and ethanol on transport properties of the jets used in suspension plasma spraying

The suspensions of fine solids in such liquids as water, ethanol or their mixtures are increasingly used as a feedstock in thermal spraying using plasma jets. The liquids are evaporated during processing what modifies thermodynamic and transport properties of the jets. The transport properties, such as viscosity and thermal conductivity were calculated for of argon with hydrogen plasma working gases mixed with evaporated entirely suspension liquids. The suspension liquids were water, ethanol and their mixtures having the composition increasing from water with 25 wt.% of ethanol to water with 75 wt.% ethanol. Finally, the factor, known as ability of melting factor, describing the capacity of plasma to melt solid particles was calculated. The calculation showed that the presence of vapors of water, ethanol or their mixtures increases considerably the heat transfer of the plasma working gases to the particles.