Hot composite coating wins a prize

"Zircotec is delighted to receive the recognition of such an important award," says managing director Terry Graham. "We want to increase awareness of the opportunities our coatings offer to the plastics industry and this is a fantastic way to start engaging with the sector." The competition is an annual event with 16 categories Branded ThermoHold for Composites, the coating is being successfully used in F1 this year to allow 650°C exhaust gases to be routed through carbon fibre diffusers. The coating is applied using a plasma spray process to a thickness of less than 500 microns. Carbon composite components can be coated with ceramic, aluminium, stainless steel or molybdenum to protect against temperature, wear or a combination of the two. Apart from motorsport and F1 applications, the coating is to be used on a forthcoming road car and in a marine application.