Optimization of spray conditions in cold spraying based on numerical analysis of particle velocity

The effects of the parameters involved in cold spray on the acceleration of particles are systematically investigated by a CFD code in order to reveal the main factors influencing significantly particle velocity. The parameters involved include nozzle geometry parameters, processing parameters and properties of spray particles. It is found that driving gas type, operating pressure and temperature are main processing parameters which influence particle velocity. As for nozzle geometry, the expansion ratio and divergent section length of spray gun nozzle show significant effects. Moreover, the density, size and morphology of powder also have significant effects on particle velocity. The effects of those main parameters are summarized in a comprehensive equation obtained through nonlinear regression of the simulated results for the estimation of particle velocity. The interactions of the parameters on particle acceleration can be examined through the equation. Moreover, the optimization of the dimensions of spray gun nozzle and spray parameters can be realized based on the obtained results.     

Measurement and numerical simulation of particle velocity in cold spraying

The velocity of cold spray particles was measured by a diagnostic system designed for thermal spray particles that is based on thermal radiation. A laser beam was used to illuminate the cold spray particles in cold spraying to obtain a sufficient radiant energy intensity for detection. The measurement was carried out for copper particles of different mean particle sizes. The particle velocity was also estimated using a two-dimensional axisymmetric model developed previously. The simulated velocity agreed well with the measured result. This fact indicates that particle velocity in cold spraying can be predicted reasonably by simulation. Therefore, it is possible to optimize the cold spray process with the aid of the simulation results. This article was originally published inBuilding on 100 Years of Success, Proceedings of the 2006 International Thermal Spray Conference (Seattle, WA), May 15–18, 2006, B.R. Marple, M.M. Hyland, Y.-Ch. Lau, R.S. Lima, and J. Voyer, Ed., ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 2006.     

激波对电场辅助冷喷涂纳米粒子速度的影响

通过建立二维数值分析模型,分析了不同进气温度及压力时,带电纳米粒子在激波和电场力耦合作用下的加速特性以及对粒子撞击基板速度的影响。结果表明:弓形激波气体压缩层是造成纳米粒子减速的主要因素,弓形激波气体压缩层越薄粒子撞击基板时速度越大;外加电场时,带电纳米粒子撞击基板的速度得到较大提升。     

Cold gas dynamic spraying of aluminum: The role of substrate characteristics in deposit formation

Aluminum powder of 99.7 wt.% purity and in the nominal particle size range of −75+15 μm has been sprayed onto a range of substrates by cold gas dynamic spraying (cold spraying) with helium, at room temperature, as the accelerating gas. The substrates examined include metals with a range of hardness, polymers, and ceramics. The substrate surfaces had low roughness (R _a < 0.1 μm) before deposition of aluminum in an attempt to separate effects of mechanical bonding from other forms of bonding, such as chemical or metallurgical bonding. The cross-sectional area of a single track of aluminum sprayed onto the substrate was taken as a measure of the ease of initiation of deposition, assuming that once a coating had begun to deposit onto a substrate, its growth would occur at a constant rate regardless of substrate type. It has been shown that initiation of deposition depends critically upon substrate type. For metals where initiation was not easy, small aluminum particles were deposited preferentially to large ones (due to their higher impact velocities); these may have acted as an interlayer to promote further building of the coating. A number of phenomena have been observed following spraying onto various substrates, such as substrate melting, substrate and particle deformation, and evidence for the formation of a metal-jet (akin to that seen in explosive welding). Such phenomena have been related to the processes occurring during impact of the particles on the substrate. Generally, initiation of aluminum deposition was poor for nonmetallic materials (where no metallic bonding between the particle and substrate was possible) and for very soft metals (in the case of tin, melting of the substrate was observed). Metallic substrates harder than the aluminum particles generally promoted deposition, although deposition onto aluminum alloy was difficult due to the presence of a tenacious oxide layer. Initiation was seen to be rapid on hard metallic substrates, even when deformation of the substrate was not visible. The original version of this article was published as part of the ASM Proceedings, Thermal Spray 2003: Advancing the Sciences and Applying the Technology, International Thermal Spray Conference (Orlando, FL), May 5–8, 2003, Basil R. Marple and Christian Moreau, Ed., ASM International, 2003.     

Characterization of copper layers produced by cold gas-dynamic spraying

The cold gas-dynamic spray method produces coatings or deposits by introducing solid feedstock particles into a supersonic gas stream developed through the use of a converging-diverging (de Laval) nozzle. The particles thus accelerated impact on a substrate surface and develop into a dense deposit through a process believed to be similar to cold compaction. The work reported here explores the internal nature and physical characteristics of copper deposits produced by the cold gas-dynamic spray method using two vastly different starting powders: in one case, a “spongy” copper obtained by a direct-reduction process, and in the second, a denser, more spheroidal particulate produced by gas atomization. Optical and electron microscopies (scanning electron microscopy [SEM] and transmission electron microscopy [TEM]) were used to observe details of microstructure in the feedstock particles and deposits. Young’s modulus and residual stress measurements for the deposits were obtained through mechanical means, and measurements of hardness and electrical conductivity are reported. The internal structure of the cold-spray deposit was influenced by the surface purity of the feedstock material.     

Examination of the critical velocity for deposition of particles in cold spraying

The critical velocity of copper (Cu) particles for deposition in cold spraying was estimated both experimentally and theoretically. An experimental method is proposed to measure the critical velocity based on the theoretical relationship between deposition efficiency and critical velocity at different spray angles. A numerical simulation of particle impact deformation is used to estmate the critical velocity. The theoretical estimation is based on the critical velocity corresponding to the particle velocity at which impact begins to cause adiabatic shear instability. The experimental deposition was conducted using Cu particles of different particle sizes, velocities, oxygen contents, and temperatures. The dependency of the critical velocity on particle temperature was examined. Results show that the critical velocity can be reasonably measured by the proposed test method, which detects the change of critical velocity with particle temperature and oxygen content. The Cu particles of oxygen content 0.01 wt.% yielded a critical velocity of about 327 m/s. Experiments show that the oxygen content of powder significantly influences the critical velocity. Variations in oxygen content can explain the large discrepancies in critical velocity that have been reported by different investigators. Critical velocity is also found to be influenced by particle temperature as well as types of materials. High particle temperature causes a decrease in critical velocity. This effect is attributed to the thermal softening at elevated temperatures. The original version of this paper was published in the CD ROM Thermal Spray Connects: Explore Its Surfacing Potential, International Thermal Spray Conference, sponsored by DVS, ASM International, and HW International Institute of Welding, Basel, Switzerland, May 2–4, 2005, DVS-Verlag GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany.     

Deposition behavior of thermally softened copper particles in cold spraying

Finite-element analysis (FEA) combined with experimental observation was conducted on preheated Cu particles deposited on Cu substrate to clarify the deposition behavior of thermally softened particles in cold spraying. An explicit FEA code, ABAQUS, was used to predict the deformation features of the thermally softened particles. The experiment was performed by a home-made cold-spray system with a powder preheating device. Considering the possible serious oxidation of the cold-sprayed particles under high-temperature conditions, the preheating temperature was limited to 300 °C for each test. Based on the numerical and experimental results, a new concept called the thermal softening zone within which thermal softening occurs is proposed in the present work. It is found that thermally softened particles deform more intensively compared to non-preheated particles, and a more prominent metal jet can be achieved at the rim of the deformed particles with higher initial temperature. Moreover, the results also reveal that increasing the particle preheating temperature can stimulate the occurrence of thermal softening. For non-preheating or low-temperature preheating particles, thermal softening mainly occurs at the interfacial region. If the preheating temperature is sufficiently high, the whole particle can experience thermal softening. In addition, it is also found that preheated particles are more likely to deposit on the substrate surface than non-preheated particles. In addition, particle preheating is also found to facilitate the coating formation process, enabling the coating to be very thick. The coating microhardness decreases with increasing particle preheating temperature due to the elimination of work hardening by thermal softening.     

New developments in cold spray based on higher gas and particle temperatures

In cold spraying, bonding is associated with shear instabilities caused by high strain rate deformation during the impact. It is well known that bonding occurs when the impact velocity of an impacting particle exceeds a critical value. This critical velocity depends not only on the type of spray material, but also on the powder quality, the particle size, and the particle impact temperature. Up to now, optimization of cold spraying mainly focused on increasing the particle velocity. The new approach presented in this contribution demonstrates capabilities to reduce critical velocities by well-tuned powder sizes and particle impact temperatures. A newly designed temperature control unit was implemented to a conventional cold spray system and various spray experiments with different powder size cuts were performed to verify results from calculations. Microstructures and mechanical strength of coatings demonstrate that the coating quality can be significantly improved by using well-tuned powder sizes and higher process gas temperatures. The presented optimization strategy, using copper as an example, can be transferred to a variety of spray materials and thus, should boost the development of the cold spray technology with respect to the coating quality. This article was originally published inBuilding on 100 Years of Success, Proceedings of the 2006 International Thermal Spray Conference (Seattle, WA), May 15–18, 2006, B.R. Marple, M.M. Hyland, Y.-Ch. Lau, R.S. Lima, and J. Voyer, Ed., ASM International, Materials Park, OH, 2006.     

Oxidation behaviour of CoNiCrAlY bond coats produced by plasma, HVOF and cold gas dynamic spraying

This paper examines and compares the microstructure and oxidation behaviour of CoNiCrAlY coatings manufactured by the APS, HVOF and CGDS deposition techniques. The coatings microstructural features were characterized by means of SEM and XRD analyses. Coating samples were then subjected to isothermal heat treatments at 1000 °C. Oxide growth rates were obtained from a series of mass gain measurements while oxide scale compositions were determined from SEM, XRD and EDS analyses. Results obtained in this study show that the as-sprayed CGDS and HVOF coatings exhibit similar microstructures, whereas the APS coating features high levels of visible defects and oxide content. Oxidation experiments revealed low oxide growth rates for both the CGDS and HVOF coatings as a result of low porosity and oxide content. The oxide scale on the CGDS and HVOF coatings after 100 h of oxidation were composed mainly of alumina without the presence of detrimental fast-growing mixed oxides. The presence of Cr₂O₃ and dispersed NiO was however also observed for the HVOF coating. As expected, the APS coating featured the onset of mixed oxides in the early stages of oxidation. From these results, it appears that potential improvements to the bond coat oxidation behaviour can be achieved using low-temperature processing methods such as CGDS.     

驱动齿轮冷挤压成形研究

分析了驱动齿轮的冷挤压成形工艺特征,确定其成形方式为齿轮与内花键同步挤压成形。利用Deform-3D有限元分析软件对驱动齿轮挤压成形过程进行数值模拟,分析了毛坯尺寸、凹模入口角对其挤压成形特性的影响。研究结果表明:当毛坯的外径尺寸大于齿顶圆直径尺寸2 mm、毛坯的内径尺寸为花键小径及凹模入口角为50°时,齿轮和内花键的齿形填充效果较好,同步挤压成形力相对较小。采用模拟得到的优化工艺参数进行挤压成形工艺试验,得到了符合成形精度要求的驱动齿轮成形件。     

Interfacial bonding state on different metals Ag, Ni in cold pressure welding

1　INTRODUCTIONThetechnologyofcoldpressureweldingiswide lyusedtoachievethejoiningofthesameordifferentmetalswithdifferentthermophysicalpropertiesandotherconditions ,foritsparesenergysources,simpli fiesweldingequipments,doesnotneedtobeheated ,anddoesnotcausethemelting ,theheateffectzoneandthebrittlecompounds .Accordinglythetechnolo gymaybesatisfiedwiththedemandofcomprehen sivepropertiesinindustryapplication ,andwillsolvetheconflictbetweentheincreasingdeficienciesandgrowingdemands .Onthesideo…     

Effect of processing conditions on porosity formation in cold gas dynamic spraying of copper

The cold gas dynamics process is a promising low-temperature spray process in which particles are accelerated in a supersonic flow before impacting with substrate to be coated. In this study the effect of spray temperature, spray pressure, and particle size on porosity formation in cold spray coatings are investigated. Results show that an increase in spray temperature and a decrease in particle size lead to a decline in volume fraction of porosity. Furthermore, particle velocity and particle temperature are determined to be the significant parameters for elimination of porosity. A model is proposed for estimation of the volume fraction of porosity for alloy of this study.     

汽车车身覆盖件模具熔射快速制造技术研究

快速硬模制造技术因其制造周期短、成本低、精度高及寿命长等特点，在当前汽车产品个性化浪潮中越来越具有优势。论述了采用先进的等离子熔射快速模具制造新技术及CAD／CAE技术制造汽车零件拉伸模具的过程，并从实例角度介绍了LOM原型的制造技术。     

变形热对齿轮冷锻精度影响的数值模拟研究

在有、无变形热产生的条件下,采用刚塑性热力耦合有限元法,对冷精锻直齿圆柱齿轮成形过程进行了模拟,并且完成了直齿轮冷锻模具弹性变形和工件弹性回复的模拟.由模拟结果可知:变形热的产生及热量传导能对齿轮精度产生很大的影响;由于在不同温度下材料的膨胀系数以及弹性模量不同,在有变形热的条件下,成形力有所降低,模具弹性变形和工件弹性回复量增大.     

影响花键轴冷挤压弯曲变形的工艺参数优化

长轴类零件在冷挤压过程中易发生弯曲变形,针对凹模定径带误差,建立了有限元模型,研究了定径带相对长度、入模半角、坯料直径对弯曲变形的影响.模拟结果表明:适当增加定径带相对长度和入模半角,减小坯料直径均有助于减小定径带误差对弯曲变形的影响.工艺试验显示,改进后的工艺参数能有效降低花键轴的弯曲变形,提高成形质量,数值模拟结果对生产实际有较好的指导作用.     

Effect of sizes of forming rolls on cold ring rolling by 3D-FE numerical simulation

During cold ring rolling process, changing the sizes of forming rolls including driver roll and idle roll will lead to a change of amount of feed △h and contact areas between ring blank and forming rolls, thus a change of the shape and dimension of deformation zone located in the gap of forming rolls is found. It has a significant effect on metal flow and the forming quality of deformed ring. So the size effect of forming rolls on cold ring rolling was investigated by three-dimensional dynamic explicit FEM under ABAQUS environment. The obtained results thoroughly reveal the influence laws of the sizes of forming rolls on the average spread, fishtail coefficient, degree ofinhomogeneous deformation and force and power parameters etc not only provide an important basis for design of the forming rolls and optimization of cold ring rolling process, but also reveal the plastic deformation mechanism of cold ring rolling.     

Microstructure and corrosion behaviour of Al coating deposited by cold spraying onto FSW AA2219-T87 joint

This work evaluates the microstructure and corrosion behaviour of Al coating deposited by cold spraying onto FSW AA2219 alloy. The results showed that a dense coating could be deposited on the FSW joint surface with low porosity (0.77%). XRD analysis indicated that no new phases were formed during the spraying. Refined grains were observed in the coating as expected by SEM results. Electrochemical tests revealed the coating had positive corrosion resistance performance. Immersion tests confirmed that the coating effectively withstood the corrosion attack in an aggressive environment and a typical intergranular corrosion can be observed in the surface of the coating particles.     

Influence of process conditions in laser-assisted low-pressure cold spraying

A laser-assisted low-pressure cold spraying (LALPCS) is a one-step coating process in which the laser irradiation interacts simultaneously with the spraying spot on the substrate or deposited coating surface in order to improve coating properties. It is expected that the LALPCS could be an effective method to improve a low-pressure cold sprayed coating deposition efficiency and denseness. The purpose of the additional energy from the laser beam is to create denser and more adherent coatings, enhance deposition efficiency and increase the variety of coating materials.In this study copper and nickel powders with additions of alumina powder were laser-assisted low-pressure cold sprayed on carbon steel. Coatings were sprayed using air as process gas. A 6 kW continuous wave high power diode laser and a low-pressure cold spraying unit were used in the experiments. The influence of laser energy on coating microstructure, density and deposition efficiency was studied. The coatings were characterized by optical microscopy and SEM. The coating denseness was tested with open cell potential measurements. Results showed that laser irradiation improved the coating denseness and also enhanced deposition efficiency.