Zircotec Flexible Ceramic Coating Goes on Show to Motorsport Professionals for the First Time

DIDCOT, UNITED KINGDOM – October 26, 2009: Motorsport professionals attending the Professional Motorsport World show in Cologne will have the opportunity to hear about the development of Zircotec’s new flexible ceramic coating and its strong potential for use in motorsport applications by visiting the Zircotec stand. On show for the first time at a trade show, the new lightweight heat shield, ZircoFlex™, is thought to be the first of its kind and has been proven to reduce surface temperatures by up to 64 percent. It can be applied to cars throughout the motorsport industry and is currently being trialled by a Formula One team.

“ZircoFlex offers a robust and durable solution for the thermal protection of vital engine and electronic components and can be easily applied to a wide range of materials and substrates, including titanium, aluminium and carbon fibre,” explains sales and marketing director, Peter Whyman. “It also offers performance and efficiency gains as well as allowing weight savings and reducing in-cabin temperatures.”

Typical applications for ZircoFlex include protection of engine bay components, reduction of heat soak through footwells and bulkheads and protection of bodywork, fuel tanks, electrical systems and batteries, as well as thermal insulation of silencer units. Lightweight at only 460g/m2 and only 0.25mm thick, it is supplied as a roll of thin aluminium-backed foil and can be cut and installed by hand or machine, and fixed in place using mechanical fasteners or high temperature adhesives.

Zircotec’s plasma-sprayed ThermoHold® based coatings are already used for the protection of metallic and composite components in an increasing number of motorsport applications, from Formula One to Le Mans cars, British Touring cars and even historic race cars. A limitation of the process has, until now, been the need to treat parts directly using 14,000ºK plasma sprays, requiring customers to send components to the Zircotec factory for coating. The flexible ZircoFlex product can be applied directly by the end user, offering a rapid and fast fit thermal management solution.

In developing ZircoFlex, the Zircotec has used a new technology in which a ceramic material is sprayed in the form of thousands of individual ‘platelets’ onto the surface of the foil. While they are close-packed to provide comprehensive heat protection, this structure allows the foil to be bent and manipulated to suit different geometries. It can even be folded tightly through 180o without damaging the thermal barrier.

“Zircoflex is revolutionising the use of ceramic-based thermal barriers across numerous motorsport applications,” continues Whyman. “We are continuing our research into flexible ceramic coatings and plan to produce an expanded range of ZircoFlex foils using alternative substrates.”

Zircotec will be displaying its full range of plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings in hall 4 of the Professional World Show, stand number 1942, including its popular ‘Performance White’ and ‘Performance Colours’ range. Specialists from the company will be on hand to discuss the products’ suitability for different race cars.

ZircoFlex can be purchased online via www.zircotec.com at a unit price of £69.70 + VAT per nom. 900mm x 550mm sheet.

About Zircotec
Zircotec offers a wide selection of coating services to protect components against the effects of heat, wear, abrasion and oxidation. Originally developed for the nuclear energy industry, Zircotec’s plasma-spray technology allows engineers to optimise material performance in a range of demanding applications including automotive, motorsport, marine, aerospace and industrial. Its new flexible ceramic coating is the first of its kind, providing lightweight thermal protection with dramatically improved ease of installation.

For further information, please visit www.zircotec.com.