Cold Spray Onto Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers for Lightning Strike Protection

In this work, metallic powders are applied to carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) substrates by low-pressure cold spraying. The coatings as well as the coating-substrate interfaces are characterized and the deposition mechanism is determined. It is shown that gas temperatures above 300°C are required for the continuous deposition of tin. These temperatures bring about partially melting, which facilitates adhesion. Accordingly, a “crack filling” mechanism is proposed to explain the deposition.