Cost-effective Zircotec coating provides Euro VI options

A new low-cost ‘fit and forget’ ceramic coating offering surface temperature reductions of 125°C has been developed by coatings specialist Zircotec for diesel engine applications. The coating features a new ceramic formulation and this, together with changes to the manufacturing process, has enabled the company to reduce costs for the new Performance Diesel product – the first Zircotec application specifically developed for commercial vehicle manufacturers – by fifty per cent. Zircotec believes the coating will prove an attractive option for truck and bus manufacturers challenged by the higher temperatures experienced with new Euro VI emissions regulations and testing methods set to be introduced in late 2013.

“Euro VI will require manufacturers to further reduce NOx and particulate matter,” explains Zircotec sales director Peter Whyman. “There are also changes to the test cycle including cold start and soak test. During running, engines are running hotter and in these conditions, improved thermal management is likely to help the manufacturers improve performance and overall engine reliability. This is particularly relevant for some after treatment systems.”

Zircotec’s new Performance Diesel coating can be applied to exhausts, turbochargers and on plastic heat shields to effectively manage heat, protect other components and help emissions controls systems work at their optimum. “From our discussions with engine manufacturers and OEMs, heat management is more crucial with Euro VI,” Whyman adds. “Whether this is for SCR engines where getting the catalyst warm is key, or in general terms, the engines are running hotter with heat soak to other components under the engine bay risking poor reliability. We now have a durable, yet cost effective solution and unlike some lagging products that require reapplication, we can offer reliability throughout the vehicle’s life.”

Costs involved with engines are, Zircotec points out, rising significantly due to the addition of emissions equipment to meet the regulations, and the company believes its Performance Diesel coating offers OEMs a means of saving costs on the whole life of the vehicle. “Use of our Performance Diesel coating can enable engineers to solve existing heat issues without a major redesign of the engine bay as well as offering the opportunity to delete heat shields, Whyman claims. “As a fit and forget solution, whole life costs are lower too.”
 
The coating is applied using plasma spraying, in effect welding the coating to the substrate. It can be applied to most metals as well as many plastics and composites, in the latter preventing delamination. A bespoke patent pending process created by Zircotec ensures that even plastics are unaffected by the plasma spray process. Performance Diesel is now commercially available; Zircotec reports it is already trialling the coating with OEMs and expects results of the testing to be available later this year. Performance Diesel is also already in use on a variety of applications, including on static diesel generators in Australia. Other potential markets for the coating include industrial equipment and on under the bonnet and concealed areas of passenger cars where more aesthetically-oriented Zircotec coatings are not required.

Zircotec began life as part of the Atomic Energy Authority and its first projects involved developing high temperature coating and heat barrier processes and technologies for the nuclear industry. The Abingdon, Oxfordshire-based company entered the automotive market via involvement in motorsport in 1994 when a Zircotec developed thermal barrier coating was applied to the exhausts and manifold of Subaru rally cars to lower in-cabin temperatures. Since then its high temperature coating has been applied to an array of vehicles ranging from Formula One through to trucks. Today the company offers a wide range of plasma sprayed ceramic and metallic coatings that protect components against the effects of heat, wear, abrasion and corrosion. Zircotec’s technologies can be applied to a broad range of different materials, including metals and composites.