Effect of Laser Texturing of Substrate Surface on Coating Properties of Cold-Sprayed and Laser-Assisted Cold-Sprayed Aluminum Coatings

In this study, aluminum coatings were cold sprayed, with and without laser assistance, on laser-textured aluminum 6060 and Fe52 steel substrates. The results indicate that laser texturing makes for a cleaner coating interface than grit blasting and that the benefits are greatest when spraying on harder substrate materials. For the steel substrate, the optimized topography achieved through laser texturing assisted in particle deformation, leading to the formation of a much tighter coating structure. Laser-assisted cold spraying, in turn, improved deposition efficiency as well as coating density and adhesion. Separately or together, the two processes have proven to be beneficial for cold spraying.