In the present work, the evolution of the microstructure in additively manufactured 17-4PH stainless steel, which was subjected to laser surface alloying with amorphous boron and nitrogen at the varying process parameters, was studied. The main aim was to improve surface hardness and hence potential wear resistance of the steel. Scanning electron microscopy, wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDS), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) were used. It was shown that the final microstructure developed in the laser-melted zone (LMZ) is dependent on a variety of processing parameters (1 and 1.5 mm laser beam spot diameters; 200, 400, and 600 mm/min laser scan speeds), which primarily influence the morphology and orientation of the eutectic dendrites in the LMZ. It was metallographically proven that a fully eutectic microstructure, except for one sample containing 60 ± 4.2% of the eutectic, was revealed in the LMZ in the studied samples. The results of WDS and AES also confirmed alloying the LMZ with nitrogen. The formation of the boron eutectic and the supersaturation of the α-iron solid solution with boron and nitrogen (as a part of the eutectic mixture) led to enhanced microhardness, which was significantly higher compared with that of the heat-treated substrate (545.8 ± 12.59–804.7 ± 19.4 vs. 276.8 ± 10.1–312.7 ± 11.7 HV0.1).

The article presents the results of the development of a composite material based on MCrAlYТа and oxide ceramics for plasma spraying.The most promising for obtaining wear-resistant plasma coatings that increase the durability and reliability of mechanisms and machines are those materials that can withstand maximum loads without plastic deformation in friction pairs in a wide range of operating temperatures and have the highest resistance to abrasive wear, the ability to work in aggressive media and vacuum.The most promising for operation under such conditions are compositions that consist of a metal-ceramic matrix and an oxide component evenly distributed in it.The performance of such compositions is ensured by the high strength properties of the cermet matrix.The heating rates of Вестник Кузбасского государственного технического университета.№ 1. 2024.

The paper deals with the studies of plasma coatings formed under optimal technological conditions from Al2O3–TiO2–NiCrAlYТа powder compositions. They have an acceptable density and have a number of surface defects acceptable for operation – pores and cracks. Large-dimensional ceramic Al2O3–TiO2 particles are embedded in the NiCrAlYТа matrix during the formation of the coating. This structure is associated with the mobility of the molten liquid-phase components of NiCrAlYТа, which tend to fill gaps and cracks that occur during plasma spraying of metal oxide coating and contribute to an increase in the density of coatings. In the process of high-temperature deposition, the oxide component melts into an organic whole with a metal one in the area of the interface, the elements diffuse and penetrate each other, so the interface is not clearly defined, there are no obvious boundaries between layered structures. These structures, along with chemical and mechanical bonds, also contain metallurgical bonds. With the optimal spraying parameters we have established, a microheterogeneous structure is observed in the coating system with the content of elements that ensure its wear resistance (orthorhombic phase of titanium oxide, Cr1.12Ni2.88, a-Al2O3, γ-Al2O3). Spreading of molten powder particles on the substrate occurs with minimal spattering and losses upon impact on the substrate. The main crystalline phases in the system of the formed coating include Cr1.12Ni2.88, γ-Al2O3, anatase (TiO2) in addition to rutile, and a-Al2O3. In the analysis, diffraction peaks in rutile are detected in the ranges 2θ = 32° and 2θ = 70°, while the content increases after the sputtering process, which confirms the transition from the anatase phase to the rutile phase at high temperature. Based on the results of quantitative analysis, the content in coating of a-Al2O3 and rutile TiO2 is approximately 30.4 % and 32.2 %, respectively, being the main phase structures of the coatings. Studies have been carried out on the influence of distances of the plasma spraying process on the performance characteristics of wear-resistant plasma coatings – adhesion strength, hardness and porosity.

In the work, taking into account the state of the issue in the field of applying multilayer heat-shielding and wear-resistant coatings, directions of research are substantiated. The objectives of the development are: improvement of powder materials containing zirconium dioxide partially stabilized with yttrium oxide for plasma deposition of heat-shielding coa-tings; improvement of powder materials containing oxide ceramics and nickel-based alloys for plasma deposition of wear-resistant coatings; development of technological parameters of plasma spraying and subsequent processing by the effects of compression plasma on the coating; analysis of the quality of protective coatings obtained using the optimal technology by studying their structure and physical and mechanical properties. The ZrO 2 – 7 % Y 2 O 3 particles contain the predominant tetragonal Y 0.15 Zr 0.85 O 0.93 phase, monoclinic and cubic ZrO 2 phases, and the Al 2 O 3 –TiO 2 –Ni–Cr–Al–Y–Ta composition contains the Cr 1.12 Ni 2.88 phase of the nickel-based solid solution, the a-Al 2 O 3 , g-Al 2 O 3 phases, and the orthorhombic phase of titanium oxide TiO 2 that contribute to its wear resistance. subsequent optimization of technological parameters for the process of plasma spraying of multilayer heat-shielding and wear-resistant coatings. Technological parameters for the process of plasma spraying of multi-layer heat-shielding and wear-resistant coatings are investigated with subsequent optimization. The optimization criteria were the utilization factor of the sprayed powder material and the structure of the coatings. The influence of the spraying distance on the values of operational characteristics of the formed plasma coatings on Al 2 O 3 –TiO 2 –Ni–Cr–Al–Y–Ta has been studied. The obtained results of controlling the phase composition of coatings by varying the chemical composition of powder materials are presented. In the process of deposition, the differences in the phase composition of the formed material are the more significant, the more inhomogeneous the distribution of elements in the initial powder material. Tests have been carried out for cyclic testing in an oven at a maximum temperature within 1300 °C of heat-shielding coatings to determine their heat resistance. They proved the influence of the phase composition of the formed coatings on their ability to withstand high-temperature oxidation.

The tribotechnical characteristics of coatings based on bronze BrA7H6F after melting with a fiber laser have been studied. Changes of instant friction coefficient, temperature in the friction zone, and wear intensity depending on technology and conditions of coating deposition are considered. Research was carried out on an A-135 tribotester under the scheme of a roller–cradle under the conditions of concentrated contact and high loads. Analysis of wear character and friction surface topography was carried out by electronic microstamping methods. Laser melting provided increase in wear resistance of coatings by 1.5–2 times in comparison with plasma spraying; wear of rubbing surface of coatings increases by 1.3–5 times at an increase of force of loading by 2 times. It is shown that in cases of plasma spraying and laser melting with high energy density of the laser beam on the friction surface the sponge-capillary effect occurs. In conditions of low energy density, the mentioned effect disappears, and plastic flow and adhesive bonding of bronze with the counter-body material (hardened steel 45) is observed on the worn surface.

In the article innovative methods of surface hardening of internal surfaces of machine parts by laser and highfrequency induction heating are presented. The relevance of applying the methods of laser and induction hardening for the internal surfaces of heavily loaded parts of quarry equipment is proved. The results of modeling and calculation of thermal and electromagnetic fields under the influence of an external electromagnetic field and laser radiation beams are presented. The original design of a complex of equipment for processing the internal surfaces of suspension parts by external electromagnetic field is described. The optimal designs of inductors with magnetic circuits made of various materials are shown. The study of the structure and properties obtained on the internal surfaces of heavily loaded suspension parts of cars, line of the BelAZ company, treated according to the optimal modes of surface induction exposure is given. The developed original technology and equipment of laser surface hardening, which makes it possible to increase the wear resistance of heavily loaded parts, is described. Data on the implementation of research results at JSC “BELAZ” – the Management Company of the Holding “BELAZ-HOLDING” for processing a wide range of heavily loaded suspension parts are given.

Изучены триботехнические характеристики покрытий на основе бронзы БрА7Н6Ф после оплавления оптоволоконным лазером.Рассмотрены изменения мгновенного коэффициента трения, температуры в зоне трения, интенсивности изнашивания в зависимости от технологии и условий нанесения покрытий.Исследования выполнялись на триботестере А-135 по схеме ролик-колодка в условиях концентрированного контакта и высоких нагрузок.Анализ характера изнашивания и топографии поверхности трения выполняли методами электронной микроскопии.Лазерное оплавление обеспечило повышение износостойкости покрытий в 1,5-2 раза по сравнению с плазменным напылением; при увеличении силы нагружения в 2 раза износ трущейся поверхности покрытия увеличивается в 1,3-5 раз.Показано, что в случаях плазменного напыления и лазерного оплавления с высокой плотностью энергии лазерного луча на поверхности трения возникает губчато-капиллярный эффект.В условиях

The object of the research is thermal spray process for the formation of metal coating from bronze powder in plasma-fuel variant, using direct current (DC) electric arc plasma torch, on steel samples. The aim of the work was to investigate and develop the technology for plasma-fuel spraying of functional coatings (for wear-resistant and antimicrobial applications) on machine-building and medical purpose pieces with increased process capacity and moderate energy consumptions in a comparison with conventional thermal spray technologies with use of inert and oxygen-free gas media. During the study, using experimental and thermodynamic estimation methods, the thermal and chemical parameters of the process under the spraying conditions at ambient pressure were characterized, which made it possible to determine the area of preferred regimes of the developed technology. On the modernized testing unit for plasma spraying of metal powders with power of up to 40 kW, operating using a controlled combination of three types of gases – technical nitrogen and propane-butane (LPG) with compressed air, the measurement and optimization of the operating and constructive/assembling parameters of the system for aluminum bronze coating spraying were established. In this case, the experiments were carried out using the designed fuel intensifier, which is joined with the PP-25 arc plasma torch, as well as additional technological equipment (protective shroud). For samples of the resulting coatings with a thickness of 100 to 450 mm from the bronze material, testing of phase composition and some parameters of the resulting coatings on steel products was carried out. Operating capacity of the proposed process reaches 7–15 kg/h for bronze powder when using a moderate power of the torch – up to 35–40 kW and a limited flow rate of hydrocarbon gas (for example, LPG of the SPBT grade) – 0.1–0.35 kg/h. Analysis of the energy efficiency parameters of the developed technology, as well as its calculated technical characteristics, in a comparison with plasma and combined equipment of a similar purpose, showed that it has an advantage in terms of target indicators, in particular, in terms of energy consumption and total energy efficiency of the spraying unit, not less than 20–30 %. This makes it to proceed later to the stage of application of this technology into production based on a new process for the metal coating formation, in particular with antimicrobial properties, with improved energy efficiency of the process.

As an object of this study, the coatings were used, which are composed of self-fluxing nickel-based alloys or compositions containing them, formed in a hybrid technological process with two main stages: spraying by the plasma method and subsequent remelting – by the gas-flame method or laser heating. An experimental measurement of their resistance to abrasive wear under conditions of boundary friction with the introduction of lubricants has been carried out for the coatings obtained in this process. At the same time, the influence of the coating composition and the remelting method on the wear value measured by the artificial base method has been investigated. To evaluate the dynamics of structure formation in the surface layer subjected to mechanical loads during the friction, X-ray diffraction analysis, metallographic method, and scanning electron microscopy in the electron diffraction mode have been used. After the laser remelting stage, it is possible to obtain coatings with wear resistance that is twice or more superior to the level for sprayed coatings of the same composition processed by the gas flame method. Wear of the coating surface has been found to occur through the mechanism of fatigue failure of the least hard component of the coating, i. e., the nickel-containing intermetallic phase, with the formation of an island-type film of hard crystallites of the carbide-boron phase weakly bound to the coating base, which ultimately leads to cracking of particles of this phase and their crumbling from the surface. The durability of layers obtained after the laser remelting stage can be increased, according to experimental data, by reducing the grain size of the phases in the coating and its texturing, as well as increasing the concentration of alloying elements in the composition of the metal-containing binder phase of the coating. The use of alloying additives leads to an additional increase in wear resistance by 2–4 times. This is due, depending on the type of additives, with an increase in the amount of the hardening phase while maintaining the plasticity of the matrix (coatings with chromium carbide additives), the degree of alloying of the nickel matrix (by the tungsten carbide and boron carbide additives), as well as the presence of a finely dispersed carbide-boride component, which reduces the processes of deformation and scratching.

The article presents the results of modeling and analysis of thermal processes during plasma spraying of Al 2 O 3 –Al composite coatings. Modeling was carried out for composite particles with spherical symmetry, taking into account the influence of phase transitions during the melting and evaporation of dissimilar materials in the aluminum‑aluminum oxide system and various particle sizes based on a mathematical model of non‑stationary thermal conductivity, taking into account internal heat sources during phase transitions. The results of studies of the microstructure of composite coatings after plasma spraying of Al 2 O 3 –Al based powders, synthesized during metallurgical processing of aluminum matrix quartz‑containing compositions, are presented.

We have studied the dependence of the characteristics, strength and plasticity, as well as the microhardness of specimens made of corrosion-resistant steel 40X13 on the modes of laser surface hardening by a fiber laser. Depending on the size of the scanning spot and the scanning speed, 3–5 tracks were applied on opposite planes of the sample with overall dimensions of 20 × 200 mm. Samples were tested for static fracture and the microhardness of the material of the samples was studied in terms of the depth of the changed structure. It was found that the fracture of the treated samples in all cases was of a brittle nature with a low level of destructive deformations at stresses below the tensile strength of the original material. The plotted tension diagrams indicate an insignificant effect of laser processing on the value of the elastic modulus of the material. Studies of the hardness of the material of the laser-hardened track and the microhardness of the material along the depth of the zone of the changed structure showed their increase up to 3–4 times compared with the initial characteristics. The results obtained can serve as a basis for studying the relationship between the modes of heating by a laser beam and the properties of the material of the hardened zone.

The main trends in the field of improving thermal spraying processes for ceramic coatings formation is, along with enhancement of coating properties, also the reducing the energy consumption for the process. In this regard, one of the important directions for improving these technologies with plasma is the development of their new versions, using the principle of adding inexpensive fuel-oxidizing mixtures based on hydrocarbons (natural gas, liquefied gas) with air. This type of plasma-fuel type of spraying will be promising for application at the present time, first of all, in order to obtain refractory functional coatings. For this purpose, the opportunity for upgrading an industrial unit/system for plasma spraying of powder materials with arc plasma torch of 25–40 kW power was investigated with the use of experimental variant of a fuel gas-vortex intensifier. Herewith the thermal engineering assessment for possible parameters of the generated high-temperature flow from the torch with this intensifier was carried out to compare these with established thermodynamic characteristics on the applicability range of this system for optimization of the oxide and carbide coating spraying process (using the examples of Al2O3, Cr3C2 and other powders); and gas dynamic and heat transfer calculations of the intensifier operating regimes in this model unit was also performed. New regimes, which were analyzed in our research as the simulants of Al2O3 spraying, have the advantage over the N2-plasma regimes from the point of view of such kinetic parameter of powder processing as ability of heating factor of hot gas medium. Taking into account the calculated data, the experimental system was developed based on the standard spraying unit UPU-3D with a fuel intensifier of the selected design and the preliminary testing of its operation was carried out at the power of 30±2 kW under the following combination of gases in the torch: nitrogen and mixture of liquefied petroleum gas with air. This system has shown the stable operation in certain range of parameters and, according to the zonal calorimetrical measurement and photo-registration of jets, it provides 30–35 % more energy emission from torch generated jet (with attached fuel vortex chamber) in atmospheric conditions, in a comparison with the torch regime with pure N2-plasma with the same power on the arc of plasma heater. Use of the system creates an opportunity to spray carbide powders as well as oxide ones at improved intensity of coating producing in a comparison with standard regimes of commercial spraying units with N2 or Ar plasmas.

The paper considers the influence of the parameters of the plasma spraying process on the technological characteristics of multilayer coatings based on nickel-chromium, nickel-chromium-aluminum-yttrium materials, oxide ceramics, intended for operation at high temperature and additional dynamic loads. The design of plasma coatings during their application (with subsequent high-energy processing) under such conditions requires a comprehensive solution – both the use of high-quality powder ingredients and the optimization of technological parameters. The plasma process of applying powder materials has been improved to obtain the maximum values of their utilization factors. The technological characteristics that affect the properties of plasma coatings are optimized, namely: the flow rates of the plasma-forming and materials-transporting gases, the flow rate of supplied powder materials, the current and voltage of the electric arc of the plasma torch, the distance from the plasma torch nozzle exit to the substrate. The paper presents the results of studies of the structure of coatings, performed using scanning electron microscopy. Their analysis has made it possible to form general regularities obtained by the action of radiation of compression plasma flows on coatings formed by air plasma. The considered structures are created using the processes of melting, compaction and high-speed cooling of plasma coatings. The main optimization indicators are the maximum local compaction and spillage of the obtained compositions with the absence of defects and destruction from the impact of compression plasma flows. The main effect during the action of radiation of a compression plasma flow on previously formed coatings is thermal. It contributes heating of the near-surface layer. When the coating is exposed to radiation of compression plasma flows, a remelted layer of oxides with a thickness of about 12–15 µm is created, smoothing the relief of the formed surface and creating a network of cracks on the surface, diverging into the depth of the coating. The liquid-phase processes occurring in the molten phase of the near-surface layers after exposure to compression plasma radiation change the structure of the layers and contribute to the modification of their mechanical properties. By smoothing the surface, increasing the density of the surface crystallized layer and minimizing macro-defects – pores or macrocracks – the mechanical characteristics of the coatings increase.

The prospects for thermal imaging and spectral technology in organizing the monitoring of laser technology processes for high-temperature modification of structural materials are analyzed. It is shown that the use of thermal imaging technology is appropriate during setup of these processes. For continuous monitoring it is more promising to use small-sized spectral technology. Solutions are proposed in which it can be used to conduct continuous monitoring based on the determination of two parameters: the effective heating temperature of the treated surface in the interaction region of the laser radiation and a parameter associated with the effective heating area. The prospects for introducing small-sized spectral devices for continuous monitoring into the feedback loop of the control system for laser systems are demonstrated.

Design of non-transferred DC electric arc plasma torches (EAPTs) operated with plasma gases containing alkane hydrocarbons, as a promising type of heaters for a number of technologies (thermal spraying, surface hardening, testing of thermal protection systems, etc.), requires taking into account the evaporation rate of surface cathode material (as one of the channels of its ablative degradation). For this procedure, as the first stage, thermodynamic methods can be used to simulate the composition and properties of reactive C–H–O–N–Ar–Me-systems with variable set of such input parameters as the ratio of components of plasma-forming mixture, its pressure and temperature. We theoretically estimated the evaporative degradation of the material for three variants of EAPT cathode with alkane-containing plasmas (“hot” thermochemical zirconium and thermionic tungsten, and “cold” copper) in equilibrium and quasi-equilibrium modes of “plasma gas + surface cathode material”-mixture, with use of generalized thermodynamic properties of the materials. The calculation for conditions with pressure, which is characteristic for EAPT discharge chamber, showed that when varying the initial composition of the plasma-forming mixture (from oxidizers (air or combustion products of alkanes) to reducing gases based on the products of combined partial oxidation and pyrolysis of alkanes), the effect of a difference in the cathode evaporation rate EAI was observed in systems based on (air + alkane)-mixtures near the melting point of surface cathode substances, in a comparison with the case of EAPTs with more conventional gases (commercial N 2 , air) and, importantly, for two variants of the analyzed cathodes (with the exception of copper). In addition, the electrode erosion value was compared for simulated zirconium cathode (in terms of erosion evaporative component) when operating on the combustion products of alkanes from “air + CH 4 ”-mixture, and for some known EAPTs with similar cathodes in other gases. Using the case of earlier tested DC plasma torch with rod Zr-cathode (with microheterogeneous surface) as an example, it was found that our calculation indicates non-monotonic dynamics of EAI value and fractions of Zr-containing vapors as a result of the change of the fuel-air equivalence ratio f of initial reactive mixture. This effect is inconsistent with measured cathode composition, which shows a probability of nonequilibrium character of thermal and diffusion processes in near-electrode plasma and surface layer (~1 mm) of the electrode, at least in the modes with arc current in the torch near 300 A. Besides this, it should be noted that obtained modeling data on the behavior of zirconium compounds (ZrO 2 , ZrC) in C–H–O–N–Ar–Zr-system can be used not only for improvement of the torch cathodes, but also for design of new Zr-containing thermal protection systems to predict preliminary their ablation rate in a flow of products of combustion (including incomplete one) of engine-, rocket- and other fuels. Similarly, the results on the copper compounds behavior near the metal evaporation temperature can be useful for optimizing the process of plasma spraying of copper alloy coatings.

The paper presents a study of the effect of adding Mo and MoS2 on the microstructure and properties of a powder coating based on austenitic steels. The coatings have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a Vickers hardness tester, and abrasion wear resistance has been determined by the Pin on disk method. The results show that a coating that does not contain Mo and MoS2 consists of the phases g(Fe), M7(C, B)3 and (Fe, Cr)2B. The addition of Mo and MoS2 leads to the formation of phases M23(C, B)6, Mo2(B, C) and Fe3Mo3(C, B), where M = Fe, Cr, Mo. The main goal of these studies was to study characteristics of Mo and MoS2 distribution and the effect of their addition on the microstructure, hardness, and abrasion wear resistance of an alloy coating based on austenitic steels. Composite materials based on austenitic steels obtained by diffusion alloying (Aus0Mo), which has a nearly spherical shape with a diameter of 50–100 μm, have been used for deposition. 3–7 wt. % of Mo powder and 1.0–1.5 wt. % of MoS2 powder with a diameter less than 50 μm have been added in the powder of the composite material based on austenitic steels (Aus3Mo, Aus5Mo, Aus7Mo). Surfacing methods, including gas arc welding with a tungsten electrode, arc welding in shielding gas, plasma surfacing (PTA) and laser surfacing are widely used in industry to increase wear resistance of surfaces. The most important differences between these methods are deposition rate, applicability of materials, substrate dilution, microstructure and hardness stability after exposure to high temperatures, as well as manufacturing cost. Among the methods described above, plasma spraying followed by fusion is a good alternative to other surfacing processes. The coating should not be overheated until it is completely melted, since in this case the primary crystals of chromium carbides and borides pass into a liquid solution and upon subsequent crystallization, form a coarser structure, worsening the quality of the coating. This is precisely what does not occur during plasma spraying followed by reflow; in addition, the method is cheap, coatings are of high quality, competitive wear resistance and high stability of properties at high temperature.

One of the main trends in the field of improving the modern technologies of thermal spraying, including plasma one, for functional ceramic coatings formation is the reducing the energy consumption of the process. In this regard, one of the important directions for improving these technologies is the development of their new versions, using the principle of adding inexpensive fuel-oxidizer mixtures based on hydrocarbons with air. This type of plasma-fuel type of spraying will be promising for application at the present time, first of all, in order to obtain refractory functional coatings. For this purpose, we investigated the opportunity for upgrading an industrial unit/system for plasma spraying of ceramic powder materials with arc plasma torch of 25–40 kW power by the use of experimental variant of a fuel gas-vortex intensifier. The thermodynamic assessment of possible parameters of the generated mixed flow after the torch with this fuel intensifier was carried out to estimate the applicability of this system to optimize the spraying of oxide and carbide coatings (based on the examples of Al2O3, Cr3C2 and other powders). The analysis of possible parameters of the produced flow after the torch with intensifier was performed for the cases of main C–H–O–N–Ar–Me (Me = Al, Cr) systems and additional C–H–O–Al-system to assess the potential of this system to modify the technology of oxide and carbide ceramic coatings formation. New regimes, which were analyzed in our research as the simulants of Al2O3 spraying, surpass on calculated energy efficiency characteristics (by 10–20 %) one of the new prospective spraying methods with (СO2+СH4)-plasma, as well as the conventional method of powder heating during the spraying with N2-plasma. The case of our proposed fuel assisted process (FA-APS) with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel for the heating of ceramic powders (especially, Al2O3) demonstrates the advantage of the process (in particular, on the energy efficiencies and energy consumption) in a comparison with the conventional regimes of APS of the powders (in N2 plasma of the standard torch). For the variants of the FA-APS with Al2O3 and Cr3C2 feedstock powders it was established to be potentially possible to obtain (at the moderate values of total electric energy consumption for the torch and auxiliary equipment, – near 1.8 and 1.0 kWh/(kg of product)) such high level of the process productivity on the final product as approximately 17 and 28 kg/h, respectively; at the values of required power of the torch:  28.2 and  22.3 kW.

Over the past few years, a group of new processes was developed for high-temperature, including plasma electric arc spraying (at ambient pressure) and spheroidizing of some ceramic and metal powder materials with the use of gaseous hydrocarbons in the heat carriers as well as with feeding of organic additions into a high-temperature jet, in particular, polymeric ones, to control porosity of sprayed metallic functional coatings. The paper considers the possibility to modify such technological processes by introducing solid fuel additions of a polymer type into the operating fluid of an apparatus for gasthermal (plasma or other) treatment, which provides melting of metal or oxide powders. For this, with the help of thermodynamic analysis, the processes have been evaluated at temperatures (300–3000) K for the set of such reacting five component systems as C–H–O–N–Me (at ambient pressure 0.101 MPa) with five variants of Ме – aluminum, titanium, chrome, copper, nickel. This makes it possible to consider these systems as simulants for potential technologies for the treatment of oxide powders (Al2O3, TiO 2 , Cr 2 O 3 ) as well as metallic ones (Cu, Ni and their alloys). In order to obtain high exothermic contribution to the heating of powders, the combination “air + polymeric addition (polyethylene) of LDPE grade” was chosen as mixed heat carrier (operating fluid) for the basic version of simulated process. During the analysis of equilibria for the considered multicomponent systems (17 variants), a set of following parameters has been used to characterize the energy intensity of the target powder heating process: the equivalence ratio for reacting mixture and its adiabatic temperature; the energy efficiency of material heating with and without taking into account the effect of fuel addition; specific energy consumption for the powder melting; autothermicity degree of the process during the combined heating (electrothermal heating by the arc of plasma torch and heat flux from the “air + solid fuel additions” mixture) of refractory powders. As a result of the assessment, the preferred (from thermodynamic standpoint) regimes of the considered processes have been found and the possibility to realize an energy-efficient heating of these oxide and metal materials (without oxidation of the latter to CuO x , NiO) with a reduced part of the electric channel of energy transfer, resulted from the carrying out of appreciable effect of the fuel-initiated mechanism of heating in the analyzed C–H–O–N–Mesystems, has been shown in the paper.