EP4274917A1

EP4274917A1 - Coating arrangement

Info

Publication number: EP4274917A1
Application number: EP21786209.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stefan BIENHOLZ
Original assignee: ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG
Current assignee: ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG
Priority date: 2021-01-05
Filing date: 2021-09-30
Publication date: 2023-11-15
Also published as: WO2022148560A1; DE102021100060A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a coating arrangement (2) for depositing a coating material on a substrate (3). The coating arrangement has a coating chamber (4') with a coating channel (4), and a coating apparatus having: an evaporation portion (11, 23, 7, 12, 13) with a crucible (13) for bringing the coating material into a gaseous phase; a nozzle portion (14) which is located on the outside of the evaporation portion, is preferably coupled thereto, and comprises a nozzle output (15); and a particle supply device (20) with a supply opening (21) for supplying particles into the evaporation portion (11, 23, 7, 12, 13). Suction lines (17, 18) and a filter device (19) can also be provided.

Description

coating arrangement

The invention is directed to a coating assembly for depositing vapor-phase coating material onto a substrate.

A coating arrangement to which the invention is directed has a coating chamber with a coating channel and a coating device. The coating channel, which is part of the coating chamber, serves to guide the substrate through within the coating chamber, in which the coating takes place. To provide the material in the gas phase, the coating device has an evaporation section with a crucible, so the crucible is part of the

evaporation section. The evaporation section with the crucible serves to bring the material intended for the coating into its gas phase.

In one embodiment, the coating arrangements with which the invention is concerned also operate on the principle that the

Coating material is transported by means of a carrier gas stream. To this end, a carrier gas flow feed into the evaporation section results in feeding a carrier gas flow of a carrier gas into the evaporation section and through it to entrain the coating material. A gas stream consisting of carrier gas and coating material brought into the gas phase is guided through and out of the nozzle section. The coating material is deposited on the substrate surface and the carrier gas is then located together with a process gas in the coating chamber, in particular in the coating channel which it is preferably sucked off with suitable suction devices.

A nozzle section is arranged on the outlet side of the crucible and comprises a nozzle outlet arranged within the coating chamber. The nozzle section serves to direct coating material fed out of the crucible onto a substrate surface. Upon arriving at a surface of the substrate to be coated, the coating material condenses and forms a coating. In an embodiment in which a carrier gas transport of the

Coating material is provided, a nozzle section is arranged on the outlet side of the crucible, which comprises a nozzle outlet arranged inside the coating chamber, in particular inside the coating channel. The nozzle section serves to feed the coating material, ie the mixture of material present in the gas phase, which is carried through the crucible and out of the crucible with the carrier gas

Coating material and carrier gas to be directed onto a substrate surface. Upon arriving at a surface of the substrate to be coated, the coating material condenses and forms a coating. The carrier gas initially remains in the coating channel and is treated there by suitable design and/or equipment measures, for example made to flow in a desired direction and/or sucked off at one or more points in the coating channel or the coating chamber.

An example of a coating device of the type mentioned above is a jet vapor deposition system, by which the person skilled in the art understands a system in which the coating material is brought thermally into the gas phase and then, typically but not necessarily, with a carrier gas stream of inert gas, is transported to the substrate, preferably at a gas flow rate above the speed of sound, more preferably above 500 m/s. the How it works can be found, for example, in the review article in the Handbook of Deposition Technologies for Films and Coatings (Third Edition), Science, Applications and Technology, 2010, pages 881-901, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-8155-2031 - 3.00018-1 (linked on the filing date). The present invention can be implemented with such jet vapor deposition systems.

In addition, however, the present invention can be used more generally for all coating devices of the type mentioned at the outset, i.e. for all coating devices in which the material intended for the coating is brought into its gas phase in an evaporation section having a crucible and this is then passed through a nozzle section and out of a Nozzle outlet of the nozzle section is directed out towards the substrate surface.

In particular, the present invention is intended for the subgenus of such coating devices in which a carrier gas flow feed into the evaporation section results in feeding a carrier gas flow of a carrier gas into the evaporation section and therethrough to entrain the coating material towards the substrate surface.

Another example of a coating device of the type mentioned above is known, for example, from WO 2016/042079 A1. In this known coating device, two wires are continuously supplied as coating material. The coating material reaches a spray head, in which the two material wires are connected to an electrical DC voltage source as the cathode and as the anode. As a result of the electrical DC voltage between the cathode and the anode, an electric arc forms between the two material wires, as a result of which the supplied starting material evaporates and/or liquefies in the form of the two material wires becomes. A gas stream is passed through the spray head, which vaporizes and/or liquefies the product

Coating material entrains and is transported into a crucible via an injector tube. The coating material conveyed into the crucible then completely vaporizes within the heated crucible and is carried out of the crucible and directed toward the substrate to be coated. This coating device has a combination of elements that are also known from jet vapor deposition systems and elements that are known from systems that work on the principle of Are Evaporation. The device is based on transporting the coating material with a flow of carrier gas. For providing the

Coating material as a material present in the gas phase, this coating device uses an evaporation section consisting of a

Pre-evaporation section and a post-evaporation section designed as a crucible. Of the

The pre-evaporation section prepares the material in the spray head and the injector tube and prepares it for post-evaporation, i.e. bringing the remaining solid or liquid components into the gas phase, at least for the most part, in the crucible.

The substrate can be a steel strip, for example. To avoid undesired reaction processes of the material provided for coating, for example oxidation with atmospheric oxygen, the coating process takes place in a coating channel of a coating chamber at pressures well below atmospheric pressure.

The invention is based on the object of bringing about a more flexible and improved adjustment and increased output of the material provided for the coating in coating arrangements of the type mentioned at the outset. The task comes with a coating arrangement with the features of claim 1 solved.

The coating arrangement has a coating chamber with a coating channel, ie the coating channel is part of the coating chamber, and a coating device

The coating device comprises: an evaporation section with a crucible, the crucible is therefore a component of the evaporation section for bringing the coating material into the gas phase, a nozzle section arranged on the outlet side of the evaporation section, preferably coupled to it, with a nozzle outlet opening inside the coating chamber, in particular inside the coating channel for directing the vapor-phase coating material fed out of the crucible onto a substrate surface on which the vapor-phase coating material is deposited,

The coating arrangement according to the invention has a particle supply device which is arranged on the evaporation section. The particle feed device opens out with a feed orifice at the evaporation section. With the particle supply device it is possible to introduce particles into the evaporation section. The term “particle” is a collective term that includes, in particular, atom clusters or molecule clusters and can designate material that is present as a powder, for example.

The evaporation section is the entirety of all the equipment of the coating device, which bring about the transfer of the starting material provided for the coating into the gas phase. For this purpose, the evaporation section has a feed for the starting material, through which the evaporation section is loaded with the starting material for its evaporation. The terms gas phase and vaporization are used throughout the description because they are common in the field of technology described. The term gas phase includes that a small proportion by weight, for example up to 30% by weight, preferably not more than 10% by weight, of the material present in the gas phase is not in the gas phase in the physical sense, but instead as a vapor, as an aerosol and/or may be present as a cluster. The term vaporization includes the fact that, depending on the material used and the technology used, the transition of the particles into the gas phase also takes place at least partially by means of other mechanisms, for example by sublimation. The term vaporization thus includes, in addition to vaporization in the strictly physical sense, i.e. a transition from “liquid -> gas phase”, also other mechanisms, such as sublimation in particular.

The coating chamber preferably has an entry passage and an exit passage for introducing and removing the substrate, and the coating channel, which is arranged inside the coating chamber, has an entry opening and an exit opening for introducing and removing the substrate.

According to the invention, it is now provided that a particle feed device is arranged on the evaporation section, which opens with a feed opening in the evaporation section. The particle feed device comprises a line which opens into the feed opening and is designed, for example, as a pipe, through which particles can be fed into the evaporation section. The particle supply device can also have other components, for example valves, locks, pumps and the like. The precise design of the particle supply device is easily possible for a person skilled in the art depending on the prevailing specific circumstances, that is to say above all: taking into account the pressure gradients and mass flows; significant is that the particle feed device is associated with the ability to feed particles, starting from a reservoir, to a processor at which the feed orifice is placed. The term "particle" particularly includes materials present in solid form, especially in powder form.

Various designs of the particle supply device are possible, which differ in the source of the particles, as will be explained in detail below.

On the one hand, an embodiment is possible according to which the particles, preferably in the form of a powder, are added from an external source via an addition opening. Continuous addition is possible. However, it can also be provided that the particle feed device has a storage chamber serving as a reservoir and a line leading to the feed opening, the reservoir being able to be filled sequentially, for example, between two coating processes during a system standstill of the coating arrangement.

It is thus possible, in principle, to add largely any composition of elements to the starting material introduced in the feed for the starting material. Such a procedure makes it possible, in particular, to provide a more flexible adjustment of the coating to be produced. For example, it is possible to produce coatings that cannot be provided in their chemical composition with the starting material itself and possibly supplied gases alone and therefore require additional element admixtures, for example in the form of particles present as powder. It is also possible, for example, to produce over-stoichiometric, under-stoichiometric or metastable layers.

On the other hand, another embodiment provides that the particle supply device from the coating chamber, Particles originating preferably from the coating channel itself are fed, in particular by dust and vapors which are not suppressed and are present there; Such a procedure leads in principle to the particles in the particle supply device having the composition of the starting material or a similar composition to the starting material and increasing the output of the excess material obtained from the coating chamber, which has accumulated there as dust or vapor.

Overall, the provision of a particle supply device for the known method mentioned at the beginning means that a more flexible and/or more efficient coating method is provided.

In an alternative embodiment, the coating device is designed as a jet vapor deposition device. In a particularly simple configuration of such, the evaporation section consists of the crucible.

Preferred embodiments of the coating arrangement have a carrier gas flow feed to the coating device. A carrier gas, for example an inert gas such as Ar or N 2 , is introduced into and through the evaporation section as a carrier gas stream to carry coating material with it.

In a special embodiment of a coating device, such as the coating device described above, the evaporation section includes a pre-evaporation section with in particular a spray head and an injector tube from the spray head to the crucible designed as a post-evaporation section. The starting material is fed to the extrusion head, preferably in the form of wire or strip. The starting material is processed in the spray head, which means that components of the starting material are vaporized and/or particles present in the liquid phase are separated from the starting material, preferably by means of an arc evaporation between starting material connected as a cathode and starting material connected as an anode. The processed starting material is not completely in the gas phase, but consists of a mixture, in particular of gas phase and liquid or partially liquid particles, which is suitable for being guided through the crucible in order to be post-evaporated there, i.e. completely or largely completely by heating that takes place there to go into the gas phase.

The pre-evaporation section comprises in particular a spray head for preparing the coating material present as the starting material and an injector tube. The injector tube is coupled to the crucible and is designed to direct the coating material processed in the spray head to the crucible. The prepared coating material enters the crucible. Components of the coating material that are not yet in the gas phase vaporize within the crucible, which for this purpose is heated to a temperature above the vaporization temperature of the starting material.

The crucible is heated to vaporize the processed feedstock. The temperature to which the crucible is heated depends on the coating material, it usually has to be higher than the vaporization temperature of the processed starting material. The crucible is preferably designed as a cyclone, since a cyclone shape is a space-saving design that allows the gas flow to be guided efficiently through the crucible. Another advantage of a crucible designed in the form of a cyclone is its high reliability in the almost complete evaporation of the material flowing through, which ensures a high quality of the deposited coating. A carrier gas flow feed pointing into the evaporation section is preferably arranged at the evaporation section for feeding a carrier gas flow of a carrier gas into the evaporation section and through it for entraining the coating material. An embodiment of an exemplary embodiment explained at the outset is particularly preferred, in which the pre-evaporation section has a spray head, with the carrier gas flow supply being arranged in front of the spray head, so that the carrier gas is routed through the spray head and treated starting material there, for example in the form of particles or clusters, with tears and directs it through the injector pipe into the crucible.

Irrespective of the question of the origin of the particles to be supplied with the particle supply device, the particles are at different positions on the

Evaporation section fed. Preferably, they are supplied at a position of the pre-evaporation section.

According to a first alternative, it is possible to arrange the feed orifice at the gas flow inlet of the spray head or inside the processing area of the spray head.

As already explained at the outset, the spray head is preferably supplied with a carrier gas, which carries along the components of the material to be coated that are provided in the spray head by melting and/or vaporizing and transports them to the crucible and from there into the coating channel. The carrier gas can be, for example, an inert gas such as N2 or Ar, with N2 being preferred in many cases because of its lower cost.

Supplying the particles to the gas stream supply of the carrier gas causes the particles to be carried with the gas into the region of the arc formed with the feedstock. Alternatively, if the particles are fed into the conditioning area itself, the result is the same; in both cases the particles get into the Arc or near the arc where they are exposed to high heating. The heating caused by the arc causes at least the surfaces of the particles to be liquefied, and possibly also the entire volume of the particles to be liquefied. With a first liquefaction of the supplied particles, they are then in a similar state to the starting materials leaving the processing area of the spray head, so that both are guided together with the gas stream to the crucible and inside the crucible by heating in the crucible into the suitable for coating Way to be brought into the gas phase. The basic functionality of feeding the powder into the process with heating in the preparation area of the spray head corresponds roughly to the well-known method of powder flame spraying, in which the surface of a powder is converted into the liquid state by the "flame". In the method described the processing area takes on the function of the flame of regular powder flame spraying.

Particularly preferably, the spray head is a wire gun for arc melting and/or arc vaporization of starting material introduced into the wire gun, in which the starting material is fed in the form of wire or ribbon.

According to an alternative embodiment of the coating device, the feed opening is designed to feed the prepared coating material behind the spray head and in front of the crucible when considering the process control.

It is particularly preferred that the feed orifice behind the spray head and in front of the crucible opens into a supply line to the injector tube or into the injector tube in order to feed the particles inside the injector tube to the material which, coming from the spray head, reaches the injector tube in a way that has already been processed there. The particles are thus added to the gas flow of the injector tube. It is particularly preferred that the feed opening behind the spray head and in front of the crucible in relation to the direction of carrier gas flow opens into a feed line to the injector tube or into the injector tube in order to feed the particles inside the injector tube to the material which comes from the spray head in a manner already prepared there entered the injector tube. The particles are thus added to the gas stream of carrier gas and processed material in the injector tube.

However, it is also possible for the particle feed device to be arranged with its feed opening on the crucible in order to feed particles into the crucible.

The spray head is preferably a wire gun for arc melting and/or arc evaporation of starting material introduced into the wire gun. If the particles are placed in the injector tube, the inner walls of the injector tube that are heated during the process contribute at least partially to a liquefaction of the surface of the particles via radiation heating, before the gas phase is subsequently brought about by the crucible arranged downstream. Optionally, it can also be provided that the injector tube is actively heated with a heating element, for example with a resistance-heated or inductive heater.

Which of the two embodiments is to be preferred depends, for example, on the temperatures required for melting and gasifying the material; Ultimately, therefore, the material and the quantity of the material is a decisive aspect, according to which the skilled person in charge of implementing the invention chooses one of the two alternatives. Since this is purely a question of interpretation, these considerations do not pose a problem for the person skilled in the art; rather, it is an advantage that the person skilled in the art has several options for the procedure at his disposal. Due to the fact that, in addition to bringing the starting material into the gas phase, the supplied particles also have to be heated, the quantity of supplied particles is limited. Experiments have shown that in the same time window, the particle mass, i.e. the mass of the particles supplied, must be less than 0.8 of the wire mass, preferably less than 0.5 of the wire mass, i.e. the mass of the processed starting material, to ensure that the particles supplied are brought into the gas phase until they have completely passed through the crucible. Alternatively or additionally, the effective diameter of at least 90 percent of the particles supplied, more preferably at least 99 percent of the particles supplied, should be set between 50 nm and 1 mm, with even more preferably the effective diameter of at least 90 percent of the particles supplied, more preferably at least 99 percent of the supplied particles, between 50 nm and 50 gm, is. The term effective diameter is to be understood as the diameter of a spherical particle which has the same volume as the generally non-spherical particle. Alternatively or additionally, the effective diameter should in no case be more than 1 mm. Setting the effective diameter should be understood to mean that larger and/or heavier particles are either filtered out, for example by sieving or by using centrifugal forces, or the specified values are maintained by the targeted supply of particles that have been made available beforehand. Compliance with the limits mentioned is particularly important in a case in which, as explained at the outset as one of the variants, the particles are fed to the injector tube and the particle surface is liquefied by radiant heat from the injector tube accompanied by its cooling. Otherwise, too much energy would be drawn from the injector tube take place with the disadvantage of particle adhesions and the associated risk of process failure.

The coating arrangement particularly preferably has a suction line which, starting from a suction opening arranged within the coating channel, leads to a filter device. Powder and/or dust is sucked out of the coating channel via the suction line, for example supported by appropriate pumps, and conveyed to the filter device together with the process gas that is also sucked off. The suction opening is particularly preferably arranged between the feed opening and the outlet opening of the substrate. In particular, it can be provided that a suction opening is provided both near the inlet and near the outlet of the coating channel, from which a suction line leads away, which then combine to form a common suction line and then lead the combined suction line into the filter device. The filter device is coupled to the particle supply device. The filter device acts as a particle reservoir for the particle supply device in order to supply particles filtered out from one another via the particle supply device to the pre-evaporation section after separating particles and process gas in order to provide the particles to the process for further processing similar to flame spraying in the manner described above.

The pressure prevailing in the filter device is preferably lower than the pressure prevailing at the location of the feed opening, so that the particles for feeding must be brought against a pressure gradient, for which appropriate devices are required, in particular, for example, pumps and fluid barriers arranged between the filter and the feed opening.

In particular, the filter device can additionally have a return line in order to conduct process gas separated off during filtering into the coating channel and thereby achieve a further increase in the efficiency of the overall process.

The filter device can have, for example, a cyclone separator and/or an electrostatic precipitator and/or a cloth filter and/or a liquid-based filter. The filtering can include, inter alia, separating particles from gas, but preferably also includes separating particles that are suitable in terms of size from particles that are no longer suitable in terms of size.

The particle feed device preferably has a spiral conveyor and/or a screw for dosing the particles; By means of such measures, a uniform, in particular also a controlled and adjustable, supply of the particles into the process can be provided.

The injector tube is preferably designed to be actively heatable, for example by means of resistance heaters arranged on the injector tube and/or radiation heaters pointing towards the injector tube.

The crucible is preferably designed as a cyclone; an example of a crucible designed as a cyclone can be found in WO 2016/042079, for example. A crucible designed as a cyclone has the advantage that a particularly efficient and reliable vaporization of the components of the processed starting material that are fed into the cyclone and are not yet completely in the gas phase is ensured.

The coating channel is particularly preferably designed for the passage of strip, in particular metallic strip such as steel strip, with outside of the coating channel, preferably outside of the

coating chamber, a transport arrangement for transporting the strip through the coating channel is arranged therethrough. In particular, one support roller is in front and one support roller is behind the coating channel, in each case related to the direction of movement of the strip.

A further idea of the invention relates to a coating arrangement which has one on both the first side of the strip and one on the second side of the strip

Coating device from one of the coating arrangements of the type mentioned above or their developments provides with the advantage that the efficient and flexible coating of the manner mentioned is possible on each side of the strip.

Further details, features and advantages of the subject of the invention result from the following description in connection with the figures, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown by way of example.

It goes without saying that the features mentioned above as well as those explained below can be used not only in the combination specified in each case, but also in other combinations or on their own.

Show it:

1: An embodiment of a coating arrangement with a coating device arranged on both sides of the strip according to the first embodiment variant;

Fig. 2: Coating device according to the second embodiment.

1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a coating arrangement 1 with a coating device 2 arranged on both sides of the strip according to the first embodiment variant. On both sides of the band 3, which is guided vertically in the illustration shown, has the

Coating arrangement 1 each have a coating device 2, the two coating devices 2 being identical in the specific embodiment of FIG. It is a coating device that has a pre-evaporation section and a post-evaporation section designed as a crucible 13. There is a coating chamber 4' in which a coating channel 4 is arranged, with a total pressure of the order of 100-300 mbar being maintained in the coating channel, for example, with the sum of the partial pressures of carrier gas and coating gas being, for example, at least 95 percent of the total pressure in the total pressure constitute, and through which the tape 3 is passed. Outside the coating channel there are transport rollers 5, 6 of a transport arrangement for transporting the strip 3, which transport the strip 3 through the coating channel. A spray head 7 is provided, in which a wire 8 of the starting material is connected as the cathode and a wire 9 of the starting material is connected as the anode in such a way that an arc 10 is ignited between the two and the arc 10 separates vaporized and/or partially or completely molten particles of the starting material. With regard to the process control, there is an inlet for the carrier gas 11 in front of the wire sprayer, into which the carrier gas stream is introduced. The carrier gas flow entrains particles separated in the arc and guides them further into the injector tube 12, which is arranged behind the spray head 7 with respect to the process direction. The injector tube 12 leads into the crucible 13, so that the coating material processed in the spray head 7 flows through the injector tube 12 is introduced into the crucible 13 in order to evaporate completely or almost completely into the gas phase in the crucible 13 .

On the crucible outlet side, a nozzle section 14 is coupled to the crucible 13 with a nozzle outlet 15 arranged within the coating channel for directing the coating material, which is present in the gas phase and carried out of the crucible with the carrier gas stream, onto the strip surface 16 to be coated.

Suction lines 17, 18 lead out of the coating channel, via which a mixture of carrier gas and Coating material, the latter in particular as dust, powder, flakes and/or vapor, is sucked out of the coating channel 4. The extracted mixture is fed into a filter device 19 and filtered in this; in particular, a proportion of the suctioned-off coating material that is suitable for recycling into the process is separated from the rest of the mixture. The filter device 19 is made up of a line system with shut-off valves and funding

Particle feed device 20 coupled for feeding particles separated during cleaning of the mixture into the process.

The recirculation takes place in the pre-evaporation section, which is the entirety of the spray head including the gas supply and the injector tube. In the embodiment shown, a line of the particle feed device with a feed opening 21 opens behind the spray head 7 in a feed line 22 to the injector tube 12 with respect to the gas flow direction. The particles are thereby fed back into the process with the result that the output of the starting material used is significantly increased. The structure on the other side of the band is identical, which is why no reference numbers are attached.

2 shows another embodiment.

A one-sided horizontal coating system is shown. The embodiment of FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1 primarily in that the particles that are obtained in the filter 19 are fed via the particle feed into the gas flow in front of the wire sprayer, the feed opening 21 of the particle feed device 20 opens into a line, which serves to supply the gas flow to the spray head 7 .

Of course, the decision as to which position in the process the particles are fed in does not depend on the question of whether coating is on both sides or on one side Coating is carried out, so that, for example, a particle supply according to FIG. 2 can also be carried out in the system of FIG. 1 or vice versa.

Claims

patent claims

A coating arrangement (2) for depositing a vapor-phase coating material on a substrate (3), comprising a coating chamber with a coating channel (4), a coating device comprising: an evaporation section (11, 23, 7, 12, 13) with a Crucible (13) for bringing the coating material into the gas phase, a nozzle section (14) arranged on the outlet side of the evaporation section, preferably coupled to it, with a nozzle outlet (15) opening inside the coating chamber for directing the coating material in the gas phase that is fed out of the crucible (13). on a substrate surface (16) on which the coating material present in the gas phase is deposited, a particle supply device (20) with a supply orifice (21) which is arranged at the evaporation section (11, 23, 7, 12, 13) for supplying particles into the evaporation section (11, 23, 7, 12, 13).

2. Coating arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the coating device has a carrier gas flow feed pointing into the vaporization section (11, 23, 7, 12, 13) for supplying a carrier gas flow of a carrier gas into the vaporization section and through it for entraining the coating material.

3. Coating arrangement (2) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the coating device is designed as a jet vapor deposition device.

4. Coating arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the particle feed device (20) is arranged with its feed opening (21) on the crucible (13) for feeding particles into the crucible (13).

5. Coating arrangement (2) according to claim 1, wherein the evaporation section has a pre-evaporation section (1, 23, 7, 12) and a post-evaporation section designed as a crucible (13), the pre-evaporation section (11, 23, 7, 12) having a spray head ( 7) for preparing the coating material present as the starting material and an injector tube (12), wherein the injector tube (12) is designed to conduct the coating material prepared in the spray head (7) to the crucible (13) and is coupled to the crucible (13) for Feeding the prepared coating material into the crucible (13), the particle feed device (20) being arranged with its feed opening (21) on the pre-evaporation section (11, 23, 7, 12) for feeding particles into the pre-evaporation section (11, 23, 7, 12).

6. The coating arrangement (2) according to claim 5, wherein the feed opening (21) feeds the particles into a gas flow feed (23), preferably designed as a carrier gas flow feed, to the spray head (7) or into a processing area of the spray head (7).

7. Coating arrangement (2) according to claim 5 or according to claim 6, wherein the spray head (7) is a wire spray gun for the arc melting and/or arc evaporation of starting material introduced into the wire spray gun.

8. Coating arrangement (2) according to claim 5, wherein the feed orifice (21) feeds the particles behind the spray head (7) and in front of the crucible (13) with respect to the process control to the prepared coating material.

9. Coating arrangement (2) according to claim 8, wherein the feed opening (21) with respect to a gas flow direction of the material brought into the gas phase, preferably additionally the carrier gas flow, behind the spray head (7) in a feed line to the injector tube (12) or in the Injector tube (12) opens out to supply the particles to the processed material guided in the injector tube (12), the spray head (7) preferably being a wire spray gun for arc melting and/or arc evaporation of the starting material introduced into the wire spray gun.

10. Coating arrangement (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the particle supply device (20) has an addition opening for adding particles intended for supply from the outside.

11. Coating arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a suction line (17, 18) designed to suck off a mixture of process gas and coating material from the coating channel (4) and connected to the coating channel via a suction opening into a to the

Coating channel aspirated mixture trained Filter device (19), wherein the filter device (19) is coupled to the particle supply device (20) for supplying particles separated during cleaning of the mixture to the evaporation section (11, 23, 7, 12, 13), preferably to the pre-evaporation section (11 , 23, 7, 12).

12. Coating arrangement (2) according to claim 11, wherein, starting from the filter device (19), a return line leads into the coating channel for returning process gas separated during cleaning of the mixture.

13. Coating arrangement (2) according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the pressure in the filter device (19) is lower than the pressure at the location of the feed opening (21), wherein preferably between the filter device (19) and the feed opening (21) one or several fluid barriers are arranged.

14. Coating arrangement (2) according to one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the filter device (19) comprises a cyclone separator and/or an electrostatic precipitator and/or a cloth filter and/or a liquid-based filter.

15. Coating arrangement (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the supply of particles is set to m _part ikei <

0.8 m _wire , preferably m _particles <0.5 m _wire , and/or effective diameter of at least 90 percent of the particles supplied, particularly preferably at least 99 percent of the particles supplied, between 50 nm and 1 mm, preferably between 50 nm and 50 gm, and/or

Particles with an effective diameter of 1 mm or more are not fed.

16. Coating arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the particle supply device (20) has a spiral conveyor and/or a screw for dosing the particles.

17. Coating arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the injector tube (12) is designed to be actively heated and/or the crucible (13) is designed as a cyclone.

18. Coating arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the coating channel (4) is designed for the passage of strip, in particular metallic strip, for example steel strip, and outside the coating channel (4), preferably outside the coating chamber, a transport arrangement (5, 6) to

Transporting the tape through the coating channel (4) is arranged through.

19. Coating arrangement (1), each having a coating device (2) according to one of the preceding claims on both sides of the strip (3).