February 17, 2024

Influence of Particle Velocity and Size on the Quality of Cold Sprayed Copper Coatings

The electrical and mechanical properties of cold-sprayed coatings dependon the particle size of the feedstock powder, as it greatly influences boththe particle velocity and critical velocity. However, very little has beendone to investigate their influences separately. In this study, two typesof spherical pure copper powders with different particle sizes (i.e., fineand coarse) were employed as feedstock powders for coating production.Two coatings were initially fabricated using these powders under identicalspray conditions, resulting in different particle velocities due totheir distinct particle sizes. An additional coating was produced underadjusted spray conditions, with the fine powder sprayed at a particlevelocity equivalent to that of the previously sprayed coarse powder. Asexpected, at the same spray conditions, finer powders obtain higherparticle velocity than coarser ones, and result in coatings with improvedproperties and microstructures. However, it is also demonstrated that,at the same particle velocities, coarser powders have better as-sprayedproperties and microstructures due to their lower critical velocity

Link to publication

Key words: Copper, Cold Spray, Feedstock Powder Characteristics, Particle velocity, Mechanical Properties, Electrical Conductivity

By B. Kotsakis Ioannis, Fallah Panteha, Poirier Dominique, Giallonardo Jason D., and Yue Stephen