Gas that moves powder from the feeder to the injector and sets how hard particles are thrown into the jet. Too little and the powder skims the edge of the plume, coming out underheated; too much and it punches through the core and out the other side. Either way the result is unmelts, low deposition efficiency and a lopsided spray pattern, so carrier gas flow is tuned for each powder and cut.
Footprint's lopsided, the powder is going straight through the plume, back the carrier gas off a liter.
Change carrier gas in small steps and watch the plume; a liter either way can swing a ceramic from good to full of unmelts.
Also heard as
- powder carrier gas
- carrier
Related terms
Powder feeder
The hopper and metering unit that delivers a steady, measured flow of powder to the spray gun.
Footprint
The shape of the deposit a gun leaves in a short stationary shot or single line, used to check spray alignment.
Unmelts
Lab shorthand for particles that hit the surface without fully melting and kept their round shape.
Plasma gas
The gas mix ionized in a plasma gun: a primary gas for flow plus a secondary gas for heat.