Can Plasma Stop Metal From Rusting? Yes. It Can Also Make It Rust Faster.

Chat with Greg Fridman · Oct 13, 2026 · 4m

Next in the "Can Plasma?" series: can plasma stop metal from rusting? Yes, in a few ways. But air plasma is a strong oxidizer, so it can also make rust worse. Three parts: plasma as a coating tool, plasma for growing protective layers, and the catch.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 The question: can plasma stop rust?

00:04 Three topics: coating deposition, surface prep, and the catch

00:25 Plasma to stop rust

00:32 Master's days: the lab next door had a plasma thermal spray tool

00:46 His party trick: feed zinc wire into a thermal plasma torch, spray it onto pencils

00:56 No burning, no paint peeling

01:04…