Cathode/Electrode of F4 Plasma Spray Gun

• Customization: Available
• Type: Metal Electrode
• Cooling System: Natural Cool
• Model NO.: F4 electrode(cathode)
• Function: Conductivicy
• Materials: Copper Inlaid with Tungsten
• Making Method: Back-Casting
• Action: Plasma Generated Body
• Color: Gold and Silver
• Condition: New
• Certificate: ISO, RoHS
• Name: F4 Plasma Spray Electrode
• After-Sales Service: One Year
• Coating: Powder
• Style-1: F4 Electrode
• Style-2: F4 Cathode
• Style-3: Plasma Spray Electrode of F4
• Style-4: Plasma Cathode
• Style-5: Plasma Spray Cathode of F4
• Style-6: Plasma Electrode of F4
• Application: Plasma Spray
• Transport Package: Wooden Box with Foam Inside
• Specification: based on drawing or standard parts
• Trademark: WL
• Origin: China
• HS Code: 8515900090
• Production Capacity: 200000PCS/ Month
• Package Size: 25.00cm * 13.00cm * 15.00cm
• Package Gross Weight: 1.000kg
• Lead Time: 30 days (1 - 50 Pieces) ; To be negotiated ( > 50 Pieces)

Product Description

 

Product Description

 

 

We supply F4 electrode(cathode) for matching Metco's F4MB-XL plasma spray gun with high quality.

F4 electrode is a critical consumable component specifically designed for F4 plasma spray guns used in thermal spray coating applications.

1. Purpose:

   • It functions as the cathode within the plasma torch assembly.
   • Its primary role is to generate and sustain the high-temperature plasma arc (exceeding 12,000°C) necessary for the thermal spray process.
   • In this process, metallic or ceramic powders are injected into the plasma arc, melted, and propelled at high velocity onto a substrate to form dense, adherent coatings for purposes like wear resistance, corrosion protection (e.g., anti-corrosion, rust removal), thermal barriers, or electrical insulation.

2. Key Performance Characteristics:

   • Material & Structure: Utilizes high-purity tungsten or specific tungsten alloys as the emissive insert, known for high melting point, excellent electrical conductivity, and resistance to arc erosion. This tungsten insert is integrated into a copper body using a unique Back Casting (NDB) process.
   • Superior Bonding: The NDB process creates a seamless, metallurgical bond between tungsten and copper, achieving a bond strength of up to 127 MPa. This far exceeds the strength of traditional brazing methods (<100 MPa) and eliminates gaps at the interface.
   • Enhanced Thermal Management: The seamless tungsten-copper bond provides significantly better thermal conductivity and more uniform heat dissipation compared to brazed electrodes. This prevents localized hot spots and thermal stress cracking.
   • Arc Stability & Longevity: The dense, fine-grained microstructure of the specially treated tungsten alloy ensures rapid and stable arc ignition ("quick arc starting") and exhibits outstanding resistance to arc erosion and burn-off. This translates directly to a longer service life and reduced downtime for electrode changes.
   • Process Consistency: The stable arc and efficient cooling contribute to consistent plasma characteristics, which is crucial for achieving uniform coating quality, precise application, and high deposition efficiency.
   • Compatibility & Safety: Designed to be compatible with various plasma spray guns (like Metco F4, 9M, SG-100). Environmentally friendly non-radioactive tungsten alloys (e.g., thorium-free) are commonly used.

3. Importance:

   • The cathode F4 electrode is vital for the stable operation, reliability, and efficiency of the F4 plasma spray system.
   • Its superior thermal conductivity and seamless construction are paramount for managing the extreme thermal loads generated by the plasma arc, preventing premature failure.
   • The extended lifespan directly reduces consumable costs and machine downtime for maintenance, significantly lowering operational costs and increasing productivity.
   • By enabling a stable arc and consistent plasma conditions, it ensures high-quality, reproducible coatings essential for demanding applications in aerospace, automotive, medical devices, and heavy industry.
   • The robust design enhances overall process safety by providing reliable performance under high-stress conditions.^(5)

Plasma thermal spray gun consumables
    As we all know, the most critical components of plasma thermal spray guns such as F4, F1, 9MB, 7MB, 3M7, SG-100,SinplexPro,TriplexPro and so on are the nozzle and electrode . These two products are also consumable parts and are one of the most important consumables in plasma thermal spraying.
    Our company is a manufacturer specializing in the production of plasma spray electrodes and nozzles (also known as plasma cathodes and anodes, tungsten copper cathodes, and tungsten copper anodes).

High performance F4 plasma nozzle and F4 electrode
In the plasma spraying process, metal or ceramic powder is melted in a plasma arc and then sprayed at high speed onto the workpiece to be coated. In this way, water-impermeable, highly adhesive coatings can be deposited on tools and various equipment components. When used in spray guns, our electrodes must be able to withstand transient plasma temperatures in excess of 12,000°C. This kind of instantaneous high temperature and pressure is not a problem for our F4 electrode. Our company uses back-casting production technology to form a seamless connection between tungsten and copper, which is extremely strong. Therefore, our electrodes can provide stable working conditions for a long time and extend their service life.
Different from the brazing method, brazing uses solder as an intermediate medium to fuse the two alloys, but it is difficult to achieve 100% connection. Therefore, the product produced in this way is first of all not strong enough and is not suitable for the extreme conditions faced in the gun body. High pressure and high temperature can easily cause uneven heat conduction and cracks.

The models of Nozzle and electrode of F4:
 

Product model	Product name	Related product model
WLE-F4	F4 electrode	1072006
WLN-F4-5	F4 nozzle	1088066
WLN-F4-6	F4 nozzle	1072007
WLN-F4-7	F4 nozzle	1088062
WLN-F4-8	F4 nozzle	1088057

There are many F4 electrode manufacturers on the market, but many of them can only make similar sizes, but there are many differences in service life and performance. As a professional manufacturer, we not only know how to produce, but also how to improve and understand customer's use, so we can provide more professional online services.

If you have any needs, users are welcome to come for consultation. Our company has a group of experienced technical and sales teams who will serve you wholeheartedly.

 

Certifications

      

Our Advantages

Advantages of plasma spray nozzles and electrodes produced by our company:
1. Our company has been engaged in the production of pure tungsten and tungsten alloy materials for many years, and has an in-depth understanding of the structure and properties of materials. For the tungsten electrode used in plasma spraying electrodes, based on our full understanding of the application, we have made more improvements and treatments to the material structure to meet the material requirements of plasma spraying. By densifying the tungsten electrode, a finer, more uniform grain structure is formed. The modified tungsten alloy has relatively high hardness and density, fast arc starting, excellent resistance to arc burning loss, and long life.

2. Our company's plasma spraying electrodes and nozzles use unique back-casting technology to achieve seamless bonding between tungsten and copper. The bonding strength can be as high as 127MPa, while the traditional bonding strength is less than 100MPa. Compared with traditional brazing, joints made by back-casting have higher bonding strength between tungsten and copper, larger contact area, more uniform resistance, and stronger heat dissipation ability, making the nozzle and electrode more stable and more durable as well as long service life.

3. We produce tungsten electrodes of different materials (good arc starting performance and ablation resistance). Based on customer usage conditions, we can provide more suitable materials for customers to choose.
 

Material	Impurity content (%)	Electron work function (eV)
Lanthanum tungsten	<0.2	2.8-3.2
Cerium tungsten	<0.2	2.7-2.8
Thorium tungsten	<0.2	2.0-3.9

4. Based on the research and analysis of plasma spray guns, the electrodes and nozzles produced by our company can perfectly adapt to the original spray guns, and no additional adjustment of spraying parameters is required during replacement. We have a complete product series, and the plasma spray electrodes and nozzles we produce can be widely used in F4, 9M, SG-100 and other spray guns of Metco, GTV, FST, AMT AG, Praxair and other companies.
5. We have rich experience in producing various cathodes and anodes, which can be customized and processed according to customer samples or drawings. We can also provide semi-finished products with seamless combination of tungsten and copper.

After Sales Service

 

We can ensure our all products which are seamless bonding,no gas foam generating,and assure concentricity,if any defect has been found which are due to our cause,we can replace them for free and send you along with shipment for next time.