Thermal spraying is a group of processes in which finely divided metallic or nonmetallic surfacing materials are deposited
in a molten or semi‐molten condition
on a
prepared substrate
to form a spray deposit. The surfacing material may be in the form of powder, rod, cord, or wire, and the different spraying processes are generally categorized into two groups according to the method of heat generation: combustion or electrical. This article is restricted to electrical processes: plasmas jets (nontransferred direct current arcs or induction discharges), wire arcs, and transferred arcs. Nowadays, thermal spray is part of engineering technology for wear protection, thermal insulation or barriers, oxidation protection, corrosion or oxidation resistance, abradable seals, electrically conductive or insulating materials, dimensional restoration or manufacture, free‐standing shapes, and medical implants.