The quality of feedstock powder is a critical factor in determining the properties of coatings deposited using cold spray (CS). However, most commercially available powders are not designed or optimized for CS applications, making it challenging to tailor powders to desired quality. In this research, we investigated and compared the cold-sprayability of four different Cu powders produced by electrolysis and gasatomization methods. We assessed the powders' microstructure, particle morphology and size distribution to understand the effect of manufacturing methods on Cu powder characteristics. We also studied the flowability of the powders using the shear cell method and evaluated their mechanical properties and deformability for CS using nano-indentation. Our results showed that gas-atomized powders with equiaxed grains exhibited promising flowability and deformability for CS applications, outperforming the other powders tested. Specifically, the spherical morphology of gas-atomized powders provided less surface area than the irregular-shaped electrolytic powder, reducing the interaction of surface forces and contributing to smooth powder flow. Additionally, the gasatomized powder with small dendrites in the microstructure exhibited the highest nano-hardness value (HIT= 1.6±0.1 GPa), while the porous electrolytic Cu powder had the lowest value (HIT= 0.7±0.2 GPa). In conclusion, we found that gas-atomized Cu powders with equiaxed grains may hold promise as the optimised feedstock for CS application, considering both effective metrics of flowability and deformability.

Material’s tensile strength can be improved by the presence of a body-centered cubic (BCC) phase, which is essential in highstrength applications and highly corrosive environments. Thus, synthesizing a BCC single-phase, equiatomic AlCoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy (HEA) feedstock particle using a highenergy mechanical alloying (HE-MA) method was investigated. The transient alloy particles were developed using a planetary mill at a constant rotational speed of 580 rpm employing milling times in the range of 4 to 24 hours. During the process, stearic acid of 3 wt.% of the precursor composition was used as a process-controlling agent (PCA). Two HE-MA manufacturing regimes were utilized: i) conventional (milling constituent elements simultaneously), and ii) sequential (progressive milling while adding elements in a certain order). In addition to the conventional method, a sequential regime was employed to develop FeNiCoCrAl, wherein individual elements were added every 4 hours to the starting/milled Fe + Ni mixture. Based on the results, the HE-MA FeNiCoCrAl showed a BCC single-phase formation after 24 hours, with no intermetallic or contamination traceability. Finally, a nanoindentation hardness measurement was carried out to support the observed phase transformation before and after the HE-MA process.

The widespread use of additive manufacturing and modern powder-based technologies (thermal spraying, hardfacing, sintering) encourages the search for alternative routes enhancing the development of metal and metal alloy powders. The state-of-the-art powder production processes, like gas, water or plasma atomization, are dedicated to mass production, which limits the availability of new powder compositions with desired characteristics. In this study, stainless steel powders were investigated. The powders were atomized by an in-house developed ultrasonic (UT) atomization set-up, called ULTRAMIZER. In this system, the atomization of melt is possible by using a high-power ultrasonic field. The atomized powders were characterized in terms of morphology and particle size distribution (PSD). The powder features were then correlated with operating parameters of: (i) UT atomization system, mainly frequency and root mean square power (RMS), and (ii) the orientation of the atomization plate against the melting system, by means of distance and tilting angle. The study shows that the ultrasonic atomization allows producing nearly spherical, defect-free powder particles, with a very narrow and controllable size distribution. These are important advantages over other metal powder production methods, especially when it comes to the development of new types of powder.

The use of metal powders is dynamically increasing in many different fields of research and industry. The development of additive manufacturing technology or innovative thermal spray processes still enhance the range of possible applications. This means that there is a big demand for high quality metal powder materials. Currently, the atomization methods, like water or gas atomization, seem to be most established technologies for metal powder production. This work concerns the development of an innovative technology of metal powder manufacturing, namely ultrasonic atomization. First, the general idea of ultrasonic atomization is discussed. The designing of sonotrode, in order to generate appropriate ultrasonic field responsible for metal stream atomization, is discussed. Then, the ultrasonic set-up was verified by using non-contact fiber optic displacement sensor. Finally, the developed system was preliminary tested under water loading and confirmed positively in terms of ultrasonic atomization capabilities.

Both as bulk material and coatings, cemented carbides currently occupy very well-established market niches and exhibit a promising future thanks to the development of compositions and manufacturing parameters. Direct comparisons of the properties of both are found only very rarely in the literature, very likely because the fields of application are complementary to each other but keep mostly separated. The current work is intended to evaluate similarities and differences in terms of microstructure and properties for two submicron WC-12 wt.%Co coatings obtained by High Velocity Air Fuel (HVAF) and Cold Gas Spray (CGS), together with a conventional sintered part. Microstructural features are discussed according to the inherent characteristics of each processing method. This covers a wide range in terms of the mechanical and thermal stresses acting on the material. While in CGS, the impacting particles do not melt, but experience extremely high plastic strain rates, the cobalt matrix is fully molten in the conventional sintering process, allowing time enough for diffusion processes. HVAF is to be placed in between, since the deposition process is characterized by a moderate heat input, leading to partial and/or full melting of cobalt, followed by rapid cooling. The microstructure and phases of the deposited coatings and bulk are characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) investigations enable local phase distribution of Co and WC in the samples. The hardness of the alloy processed by the three different routes is investigated as well. Additionally, electrochemical corrosion measurements in NaCl media are presented to evaluate the facility for electrolyte penetration and how the degradation of the material is affected by its inherent microstructure.

The addition of refractory metals represents a promising development approach for future high-entropy alloys (HEAs). Niobium and molybdenum are particularly suitable for increasing hardness as well as wear and corrosion resistance. In the context of surface protection applications, eutectic alloys with their homogeneous property profile are of particular interest. In the present work, two eutectic HEAs (EHEAs) were developed for the starting Al 0.3 CoCrFeNi using electric arc furnace. Following mechanical and microstructural characterization, the two alloys Al 0.3 CoCrFeNiMo 0.75 and Al 0.3 CoCrFeNiNb 0.5 were identified. For thermal spray processing, powders were prepared by inert gas atomization. The coatings produced by high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) spraying were characterized and evaluated comparatively to the castings, allowing process-structure-property relationships to be derived. Based on the results, statements on possible application potential can be made.

Cermets are composite materials consisting of a ceramic reinforcement and a metal matrix. Conventional tungsten carbide cermet parts containing a cobalt matrix phase are mainly produced by powder sintering. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) is an additive manufacturing technology widely applied for direct fabrication of metal functional parts with complex geometry. The present paper deals with the feasibility study of additive manufacturing of cermet parts by L-PBF using WC-17Co powder. The results showed that parametric optimisation of the L-PBF process allowed the production of solid WC-17Co part. Structural analysis revealed the presence of significant porosity (1.41%) and small-scale cracks in the as-built samples. Post-processing, such as HIP (Hot Isostatic Pressure) significantly improved the structure of manufactured parts. The porosity after HIP was very low (0.01%) and phase analysis revealed that the samples after HIP did not contain the fragile W 2 C phase. Abrasive wear tests showed that the wear resistance performance of additively manufactured parts was comparable to a reference produced by powder sintering. High values of hardness (around 1100 HV 30 ) were observed for the as-built and HIP samples. The study successfully demonstrated the possibility of manufacturing wear-resistant cermet parts by L-PBF.

In this work, Inconel 718 gas-atomized powder was successfully heat treated over the range of 700-900°C. As-atomized and as-heat treated powders were cold sprayed with both nitrogen and helium gasses. Cold spray of high strength materials is still challenging due to their resistance to particle deformation affecting the resulting deposit properties. Powder heat treatment to modify its deformation behavior has recently been developed for aluminum alloy powders, however, there is no literature reported for Inconel 718 powders. The microstructural evolution of the powder induced by the heat treatment was studied and correlated with their deformation behavior during the cold spray deposition. Deposits sprayed with heat-treated powders at 800 and 900 °C and nitrogen showed less particle deformation and higher porosity as compared to as-atomized deposit associated to the presence of delta phase in the powders precipitated by the heat treatment. In contrast, deposits sprayed with helium using both powder conditions, as-atomized and as heat-treated powders, showed high particle deformation and low porosity indicating that the type of gas has a greater effect on the particle deformation than the delta phase precipitated in the heat-treated powders. These results contribute to understanding the role of powder microstructure evolution induced by heat treatment on the cold spray deposits properties.

Ni-Al intermetallics have excellent corrosion and oxidation resistance, but their use in thermal spraying has been limited due to issues with in-flight oxidation. In this study, a novel approach is proposed to remove oxide from Ni-Al droplets in-flight by adding a deoxidizer (diamond) to the feedstock powder. A mixture of nickel, aluminum, and diamond powders was mechanically alloyed using a combination of cryogenic and planetary ball milling. The resulting Ni/Al/diamond composite powder was then plasma sprayed via the APS process, forming Ni-Al coatings on Inconel 738 substrates. Phase composition, microstructure, porosity, and microhardness of the coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, image analysis, and hardness testing, respectively. Oxygen content measurements showed that the coatings contained significantly less oxygen than coatings made from ordinary Ni/Al powders. In-flight particle temperatures were also measured and found to be higher than 2300 °C. The low oxygen content in the coatings is attributed to the in-situ deoxidizing effect of ultrahigh temperature droplets which are also oxide-free.

A novel powder modification method based on the simultaneous softening and agglomeration of steel powders via heat treatment in a rotary tube furnace has been investigated as a means to improve the cold sprayability of H13 tool steel powder. By adjusting starting powder size and shape as well as heat treatment conditions (maximum temperature, cooling rate, and atmosphere), cold spray of H13 powder went from virtually no deposition to the production of thick dense deposits with a deposition efficiency of 70%. Powder agglomeration, surface state, microstructure evolution, and softening are identified as key factors determining powder deposition efficiency and resulting deposit microstructure.

This paper addresses a need for information on nanoparticle emissions and related issues such as worker exposure, filtration efficiency, and dustiness. A survey has been conducted on the working conditions and safety measures used in thermal spray companies and the results compared to scientific literature and previous surveys. Responses to questions on matters of health and safety reveal a lack of information and awareness of the risks posed by the emissions of ultrafine particles generated by thermal spraying processes.

Wire atomization processes used to make refractory and high temperature alloy powders are relatively expensive due to the cost of feedstock, energy, and gas. A new process based on Transferred Arc Wire Atomization technology, however, has the potential to overcome these problems. This paper introduces the innovative process which, in combination with hydrogen generation, presents new opportunities for several alloys that can be more easily processed by plasma wire atomization. The new approach shows promise to reduce both fixed and variable costs for certain refractory and high temperature materials.

The ongoing development of new HVOF spray guns for internal diameters is driving demand for finer spray powders. Fine spray powders (< 20 µm) are necessary to achieve short spray distances, but they also create new challenges. The first steps in the thermal spray process chain are powder preparation and feeding. If these steps are not stable, no sufficient coating quality can be obtained. This present work compares volumetric and fluidization powder feeding methods and investigates the feeding behavior of agglomerated and sintered WC-Co(Cr) powders with particle fractions of -5+15 µm, -20+5 µm, and -10+2 µm. Particle size fraction was measured ex situ by laser diffraction and particle outflow from the injectors was recorded in-situ by means of particle image velocimetry.

In this work, a 2D axisymmetric model of gas atomization at unsteady state that accounts for break-up and solidification is used to simulate laser melting of gas atomized powder. With an optimal nozzle width of 0.6-1 mm and a nozzle angle of 30-32°, the yield of fine 15-45 μm stainless steel powder, suitable for selective laser melting, is shown to increase from 20% to 35%. The effect of laser power on the melting channel width, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the sample is also investigated.

Cold gas dynamic spray has significant potential for load-bearing repairs of high-value metallic components, as it is capable of producing pore and oxide-free deposits of significant thickness and with good levels of adhesion and mechanical strength. However, recently published research has shown that the rapid solidification experienced by gas atomised powders during manufacture can lead to a non-equilibrium powder microstructure, including clusters of dislocations as well as significant localised segregation of alloying elements within each particle. This paper reports on an investigation into the solution heat treatment of a precipitation hardenable aluminium alloy powder. The objective was to create a consistent and homogeneous powder phase composition and microstructure before cold spraying, with the expectation that this would also result in a more favorable heat treatment response of the cold spray deposits. Aluminium alloy 7075 gas atomized powders were solution heat treated at 450 °C for 5 hours in a sealed glass vial under vacuum and quenched in water. The powder particle microstructures were investigated using scanning electron microscopy with electron back scatter diffraction (SEM/BSE) and optical microscopy. The dendritic microstructure and solute segregation in the gas atomized powders was altered, with the heat-treated powder particles exhibiting a homogeneous distribution of solute atoms. The influence on the mechanical properties of the powder particles was studied using micro-indentation. The heat-treated powders exhibited a hardness decrease of nearly 25% compared to the as-received powders. This paper relates the behavior and the deformation of both as-received and heat-treated powders during spraying (single particle impacts), comparing the measured hardness with the deformation effect and the material jetting occurring upon impact.

Decomposition of the nitride ceramic particles like aluminium nitride (AlN) during conventional thermal spray process prevents their deposition on the substrate. Reactive plasma spraying (RPS) is a promising solution to fabricate AlN coatings. It is based on reaction and deposition of molten particles in active nitrogen ambient to form the AlN phase. Several thick AlN based coatings were fabricate successfully by reactive plasma spraying of aluminium and/or alumina particles. This study shows our recent achievements of fabrication of AlN coatings with improved conductivity. It was possible to fabricate AlN based coatings through reactive spraying of fine alumina particles mixed with fine AlN additives. Using small particle size powders improved the particles melting, surface area, therefore nitriding conversion and the AlN content. The fabricated AlN based coating contains several of oxide phases, with low density and high porosity, therefore its thermal conductivity was very low (about 2.6 W/m.K). To fabricate AlN coatings with high thermal conductivity, a liquid phase promoting additive (yttria) was added to the feedstock powder. It assists the formation of the yttrium aluminate (Y-Al-O) phase and therefore the sintering of the coatings during heat treatment. Finally, AlN coating with improved thermal conductivity (above 90 W/m.K) was developed.

Plasma spraying ZrB 2 ceramic coating is considered as potential candidate method of Thermal Protective System. While the application of plasma sprayed ZrB 2 coating is restricted due to its oxidation. Therefore, it is important to study the oxidation behavior of the ZrB 2 material. In this research, oxidation behavior of the ZrB 2 ceramic, which achieve different density by using SPS and pressureless sintering, is studied to explain the oxidation behavior of plasma spraying ZrB 2 ceramic coating. The oxidation behavior of ZrB 2 ceramics is investigated using SEM, XRD and EDS. The ZrB 2 –based ceramic coating is gravely oxidized at 600°C, but the block ZrB 2 –based ceramics also possess excellent oxidation resistance above 1000°C. The density of ZrB 2 ceramics significantly increase when changing the sintering method from pressureless sintering to SPS. The high density has beneficial effect to improve the oxidation resistance of ZrB 2 ceramic, for there are few open pores channel in high density ceramics. The oxygen cannot diffuse to the inner through pores, as a result, the high density ceramics can only be oxidized from outside to inside progressively, unlike low density ceramics, whose surface and inner is oxidized simultaneously.

A commercial abradable coating AlSi-hBN was fabricated by atmospheric plasma spraying and was thermal aged at 450 °C in the atmospheric environment for 1000h. Thermal aging effect on coating abradability, hardness, bond strength and microstructure were evaluated. It was found that coating abradability increased obviously after 2h thermal aging and slightly decreased for extended thermal aging time. A sharp decrease in both coating hardness and bond strength were found after 2h thermal aging and a slow increase occurred with the extended aging time. Relationships between coating properties and microstructure were studied. Decomposition of organic binder and sintering of AlSi matrix metal generated by thermal aging were found to be reasons for coating properties changes.

This study evaluates a method for producing Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 /SrZrO 3 , a ceramic-matrix composite considered for use as a thermal barrier coating. GdZrO/SrZrO powders are synthesized by co-precipitation, then cold pressed and sintered to form the bulk composite material. Phase stability of the powder and bulk material is assessed by X-ray diffraction and several bulk material properties are determined, including microhardness, Young’s modulus, fracture toughness, thermal expansion coefficient, heat capacity, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity. The results are presented and discussed.

This work introduces a hybrid spray-and-fuse process and a modified CoCrMoC (Stellite) alloy that significantly expand the manufacturing window for wear-resistant coatings. The Co-based alloy was produced by adding Ni, B, and Si to Stellite 720 to lower its melting points and expand its melting range thereby improving the sprayability and fusibility of the material. The modified alloy was deposited on Inconel 718 balls and 1 in. diameter coupons by HVOF spraying and coating samples were sinter fused at high temperatures followed by furnace cooling. The processes used are described and test results are presented, showing that thick, metallurgically bonded coatings were achieved with high hardness and excellent wear and corrosion resistance.