Cold Spraying Combined with Laser Surface Pre-Treatment Using Protal

In this study, fine aluminum powder was cold sprayed onto aluminum substrates, some of which were polished, some grit blasted, and some pretreated using a nano-pulsed Nd:YAG laser. In the latter case, the laser is coupled with the cold spray gun and the irradiation treatment occurs just prior to deposition. To better understand the interaction mechanisms involved with laser pretreating, coating-substrate interfaces were examined on thin-foil specimens and adhesion strength was determined by laser shock testing. The results show that substrate pretreatment with a nano-pulsed laser significantly improves the coating-substrate interface as well as coating adhesion.