Abstract
In this study copper coatings were deposited by cold spraying, under different spraying conditions. Microstructure of the coatings was investigated by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetric analysis were used to examine the quality of the coatings, especially with regards to the extent of the bonded area between the particles. The DCS results indicated exothermic reactions at certain temperatures, which revealed correlations with the spraying conditions and some of the observed microstructural features. In view of these results, it is concluded that thermal analysis can be utilized reliably to assess the quality of coatings, and in particular, to examine the fraction of bonded areas in cold-sprayed deposits.
