Abstract: Blended thermal spray powders are characterized by the presence of a ZrO.sub.2 component and a ceramic coated plastic component. The ceramic coated plastic component is made by attrition milling ceramic fine particles with plastic core particles, causing the ceramic fine particles to bind to the surface of the plastic core without the use of a binder. Abradable coatings formed by thermal spraying the powders have superior high-temperature properties such as heat resistance and yet abrade readily to form abradable seals.

Abstract: Thermal spray powders are characterized by the presence of a matrix-forming component, a solid lubricant component and a plastic component. Abradable coatings formed by thermal spraying the powders abrade readily to form abradable seals. The abradable coatings have a metal, metal alloy, or ceramic matrix with discrete inclusions of solid lubricant and plastic. The thermal spray powders may be prepared as mechanically fused agglomerates.

Abstract: Composite thermal spray powders having a core to which fine particles of exothermically reacting aluminum or aluminum alloy and iron or copper fine particles are bonded. The thermal spray powders are useful in producing coatings having both high adhesive bond strength and good machinability.

Abstract: A method of forming binderless clad powders using a high energy ball mill, preferably an attritor-type ball mill, is described. The binderless clad powders are formed by combining and processing a core material powder and a coating material (either a powder with significantly smaller particle size than the core material powder or a brittle material that will quickly form a powder with significantly smaller particle size than the core material powder) in a high energy ball mill for a relatively short time (generally less than one hour The processing time employed is such that the particle size of the core material powder is not significantly reduced but that the clad powders are formed. At least one of the two materials (i.e., core forming material or coating forming material) must be deformable within the high energy ball mill. Such binderless clad powders are suitable for use as thermal spray powders and which can be thermally sprayed to form coatings on a various substrates.

Abstract: Thermal spray powders are characterized by the presence of a matrix-forming component, a solid lubricant component and a plastic component. Abradable coatings formed by thermal spraying the powders abrade readily to form abradable seals. The abradable coatings have a metal, metal alloy, or ceramic matrix with discrete inclusions of solid lubricant and plastic. The thermal spray powders may be prepared as mechanically fused agglomerates.