High-performance polymers such as poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) are appealing for a wide variety of industrial and medical applications due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, these applications are often limited by relatively low thermal stability and conductivity compared to metals. Many methods developed to metallize polymers, including vapor deposition and thermal spray processes, can lead to poor quality control, low deposition rate, and high cost. Thus, cold spray is a promising potential alternative to rapidly and inexpensively produce polymer-metal composites. In this study, we investigated the deposition characteristics of metalpolymer composite feedstock, composed of PEEK powder with varying volume fractions of copper (Cu) flake added, onto a PEEK substrate. We prepared the Cu-PEEK composite powder in varying compositions by two methods: hand-mixing the powders and cryogenically milling the powders. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the feed mixtures shows that cryogenically milling the polymer and metal powders together created uniformly distributed micron-scale domains of Cu on PEEK particle surfaces, and vice versa, as well as consolidating much of the porous Cu flake. In lowpressure cold spray, the relatively large volume fractions of PEEK in the composite mixtures allowed for lower operating temperatures than those commonly used in PEEK metallization (300-500 °C). While the deposition efficiencies of each mixture were relatively similar in single-layer experiments, deposits formed after multiple passes showed significant changes in deposition efficiency and composition in PEEK-rich feedstock mixtures. SEM of deposit surfaces and cross-sections revealed multiple co-dominant mechanisms of deposition, which affect both the porosity and final composition of the deposit. Though present in all samples analyzed, the effects of cryogenic milling were more prevalent at lower Cu concentrations.

Metallization of polymers and fiber-reinforced polymer composites is gaining attention due to the widespread application of these components in various industries, such as wind energy, aerospace, and automotive industries. Cold spray is a promising new technique to achieve the metallization of polymer and fiber-reinforced polymer composites. This work investigates the deposition mechanisms of polymer-coated metallic particles on polymer-based substrates by finite element analyses. Impact mechanics of PEEK-coated nickel particles impacting PEEK and carbon fiber-reinforced PEEK substrates are modeled. Results show the prominence of mechanical interlocking of metallic particles in the substrate, which occurs due to their entrapment inside the substrate, caused by the high energy impact-induced welding of scraped PEEK coating. The PEEK coating acts as a cushioning component, effectively mitigating the impact energy of the metallic component. The scraped PEEK coating also accumulates on the upper half of the particle, forming a cap welded to the substrate and sealing the metallic particle inside. It is observed that the depth of the carbon fiber mat in the substrate affects the mechanism and the success of deposition.

A previous study on the pull-off testing of metallized carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) via cold spray showed that better adhesion strengths could be obtained when features such as carbon fibers or surfacing elements were present, by providing potential mechanical interlocking features. In this work, the effect of the fiber orientation on the deposition and bonding of the metallic coating to the thermoplastic composite substrate is explored. Pure Sn powder was cold sprayed onto two thermoplastic Polyether-Ether- Ketone (PEEK) CFRP substrates, containing carbon fibers with different orientations: one had fibers in the plane of the substrate (uni-directional tape), while the other had fibers mostly perpendicular to the substrate (ZRT film). Characterization of the coatings was performed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy, and some aspects of mechanical testing (namely wear and scratch testing) were carried out to assess the effect of the substrate on the properties of the coatings.

Polymer cold spray has yielded lower deposition efficiency (DE) and quality deposits compared to metal cold spray. The disparity stems from metals being studied far longer than polymers in cold spray; in addition, polymers exhibit richer thermo-mechanical behavior. An experimental study was conducted to examine the effects of polymer feedstock degree of crystallinity (D) on cold sprayed deposits of polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), a thermoplastic used in aerospace and other high-performance applications. As deposition relies on the plastic deformation of the impacting particle, polymers with high D may inhibit deposition, reducing deposit quality and efficiency. This study evaluates three PEKK grades produced using different ratios of terephthalic (T) to isophthalic (I) monomer moieties (T/I = 60/40, 70/30, 80/20). The ratios control D, with higher proportions of T monomers corresponding to higher crystallization rates and degrees of crystallinity. A parametric study was completed to evaluate functional process set points of system carrier gas temperature and powder mass flow rate. Using operational parameters common among the PEKK grades, spray cycles were completed for each material and quantitative responses to variation in crystallinity were evaluated through a suite of analyses. DE of the materials was assessed gravimetrically, deposit porosity was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, and thermophysical changes to the feedstock during the spray cycle were determined by differential scanning calorimetry. Overall, we found that cold spray processing of powders of lower D formed less porous deposits with a higher DE than more crystalline powders sprayed at the same process conditions. PEKK grades with lower T/I ratios achieved DEs in the range of 60-75%, whereas the most T enriched grade only reached ~10% DE.

In the last 15 years, the cold spray process has demonstrated a great efficiency for the deposition of metallic powders. In this case, the consolidation of coatings is achieved thanks to the high kinetic energy of unmelted particles exhibiting a ductile behaviour. Dealing with ceramics, cold spray is also of great interest because one can expect properties not reachable with classical thermal spray technologies thanks to lower involved temperatures. However, cold spray of ceramics still remains challenging because of the ceramics intrinsic brittleness. Here, in the specific case of hydroxyapatite and to overcome this brittleness issue, we investigate the role of an intermediate PEEK layer between the substrate and the deposit. We highlight how this sublayer previously deposited by FS or air APS spraying can help improving the consolidation of the coating and its growth.

Unlike their metal counterparts, composite structures do not readily conduct away the electrical currents generated by lightning strikes. Cost reduction and expected production growth of the next middle range airplanes require automated manufacturing process of polymer components. The development of an automated technology to metallize polymer based composite for lightning strike protection is the aim of the CO3 project (EU Grant agreement: ID831979). In this study, thermal and electrical conductivities of composites were achieved by cold spray deposition of Cu or Al coatings. Critical points to be addressed were substrate erosion during cold spray, lack of polymer-metal adhesion and poor deposition efficiency. Several strategies were tested: i) a thin polymer film was cocured at the substrate surface before cold spraying, to enable implantation of metallic particles in the film, helping coating build-up and protecting the fibers of the composite. ii) Cold spraying a mix of metal and polymer powders to improve coating adhesion and prevent fiber damage. iii) Supercritical Nitrogen Deposition technology, prior to cold spray, to mechanically anchor metallic particles into the polymer. Subsequent cold spraying of purely metallic coatings was more efficient and showed better adhesion. All coatings were tested in terms of adhesion strength and electrical conductivity.

Cold Gas Spray (CGS) technology has allowed the development of biofunctional composite coatings composed of 45S5 and Polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The combination of a bioactive glass material embedded in a biocompatible polymeric matrix becomes this new composite in an interesting material for orthopedic applications since meet the biomechanical and biological requirements of an artificial implant. In the present study, blends of bioactive glass 45S5 and PEEK powder with different granulometry and 45S5/PEEK ratio have been prepared. These mixtures of powders have been deposited onto PEEK substrates by CGS with the goal of incorporating a bioactive additive to the biocompatible polymer, which can improve the bone-implant interaction of PEEK. The deposition efficiency (DE) and thickness of the coatings have been evaluated and from the results obtained, it was possible to conclude that DE and coating thickness are significantly affected by the granulometry and by the 45S5/PEEK ratio of the blends. By Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) inspection, it was observed that the use of blends with high 45S5/PEEK ratio led to the deposition of coatings with high content of 45S5 particles embedded in the polymeric matrix. Finally, the friction behavior of the coatings was analyzed performing ball-on-disk tests and these experiments showed that the presence of glass particles has a beneficial role in the wear resistance of the coatings.

This work addresses some of the challenges associated with depositing copper on PEEK by cold spraying. Getting copper powder to adhere to the PEEK substrate is not difficult at first, but deposition efficiency falls rapidly during coating build-up. Without heating the propellant gas, a copper coating will not form, even at the highest gas pressures. Increasing prechamber pressure is necessary, but requires an increase in gas temperature to 400°C to reach a deposition efficiency of 70%. Subjecting PEEK to such heat causes delamination issues that offset the deposition efficiency gained.

Previous results at McGill University have shown that metallic coatings can be successfully cold sprayed onto polymeric substrates. This paper studies the cold sprayability of various metal powders on different polymeric substrates. Five different substrates were used, including carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethylenimine (PEI); mild steel was also used as a bench mark substrate. The CFRP used in this work has a thermosetting matrix, and the ABS, PEEK, and PEI are all thermoplastic polymers, with different glass transition temperatures as well as a number of distinct mechanical properties. Three metal powders, tin, copper and iron, were cold sprayed with both a low-pressure system and a high-pressure system at various conditions. In general, cold spray on the thermoplastic polymers rendered more positive results than the thermosetting polymers, due to the local thermal softening mechanism in the thermoplastics. Thick copper coatings were successfully deposited on PEEK and PEI.

Electroless plating was employed for making copper (Cu)-high density polyethylene (HDPE) core-shell particles for following coating deposition by flame spraying. Our previous works already reported large-scale fabrication of HDPE/Cu composite coatings against corrosion, biofouling and ageing for marine applications. In this work, we further investigated tribological behaviours of the HDPE and the HDPE/Cu composite coatings. The structure of the composite coatings was designed via controlling the thickness of the copper shell coated on the composite powder. The result shows that the addition of copper slightly decreased the anti-wear property of the composite coating. The tribology mechanisms of the composite coating and the HDPE coating were discussed.

In the present work, a metal-polymer composite coating containing Al and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) was prepared on the surface of a polymer matrix composite (PMC) using a detonation spraying process. The microstructure and bond strength of the as-prepared coatings were analyzed. The bonding mechanism of the coatings, especially the deposition behavior of the Al and EVA particles on the PMC surface is discussed. Results had shown that detonation spraying technique enables the deposition of metal-polymer coatings directly onto the PMC surface under precise process control. The preparation of metal-polymer composite coating on PMC via detonation spraying process presents promising application as an interlayer for the surface metallization of PMC.

In this work, copper and PEEK powder mixtures are cold sprayed onto carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) substrates with the aim of producing a well-adhered conductive layer. The composite coatings were optimized through the study of the deposited mass and its dependence on process parameters and Cu powder morphology. A morphological model based on Cu phase data was developed to better understand coating microstructures. Coatings synthesized from irregular Cu particles were found to be electrically conductive, while those containing spherical Cu particles were insulating. These phenomena are explained using the developed simulation tools coupled with the investigation of coating build-up and microstructure.

This paper introduces a new way to inject nanoparticles into a plasma flame and demonstrates its use in the deposition of dense ceramic coatings. Instead of suspensions or pastes, nanoparticles are dispersed in micro resin fragments. In this case, zirconia particles with an average diameter of 200 nm were mixed with a thermosetting acrylic liquid resin and the mixture was solidified, crushed, and screened. Micro resin fragments are fed into the plasma flame using a conventional powder feeder. The resin content mostly burns away in the plasma jet, which heats and propels the nanoparticles into the substrate. SEM analysis of the zirconia deposits shows that they are free of microcracks and pores, although carbon contamination was detected by thermogravimetry. Coating hardness tests were also conducted and the results are presented.

This study investigates the formation of ZnNi/Cr 2 O 3 -TiO 2 -CuO-SiO 2 /PTFE composite ceramic coatings by atmospheric plasma spraying and assesses their ability to improve the corrosion, friction, and wear performance of reciprocating parts. The as-sprayed coatings were examined then subjected to a series of tests to evaluate corrosion and fouling resistance. Reciprocating parts that had been coated were relatively intact after 5000 h in a realistic ocean environment. Cyclical changes in coating weights were found to be influenced by the dissolution of oxide films and the accumulation of secondary products. PTFE proved to be an effective sealing agent, reducing mass loss and porosity by approximately 30%.

This paper describes the fabrication of corrosion-resistant HDPE coatings with antifouling properties achieved through the dispersion of Cu particles. The main feedstock powder was prepared by coating HDPE particles with a 1 μm thick Cu shell via electroless plating. The coated particles were flame sprayed as a topcoat over HDPE and Cu layers that had been deposited on mild steel substrates. SEM, EDS, and XRD analysis was used to examine the coatings and feedstock powders. After neutral salt spray testing for 14 days, the HDPE-Cu coatings were found to be relatively intact. Coating samples of various types were also immersed in bacteria-containing artificial seawater for three days. Field-emission SEM showed that the attachment of Bacillus sp., which successfully colonized on HDPE surfaces, was significantly constrained on pure copper and HDPE-Cu composite coatings. Some of the proposed theories on how Cu ions inhibit the formation of biofilms are discussed.

This paper presents a summary of some of the research conducted on sponge-like titanium coatings developed for orthopedic use. It assesses the pore structure, adhesion properties, and in-vitro and in-vivo biological characteristics of porous titanium coatings deposited by vacuum plasma spraying on metals, PEEK polymer, and two bioceramics, Mg-toughened ZrO 2 and ZrO 2 -toughened Al 2 O 3 . The plasma sprayed coatings show good flexibility in terms of pore size (100-800 µm), overall porosity (40-70%), and coating thickness (600-1500 µm).

Numerous automotive and aircraft/aerospace applications involve metallic coating of organic matrix composite materials, e.g. for aesthetic, electric, or engineering functions. In the thermal spray process family, cold spray is very attractive for the achievement of metallization of low-temperature resistant materials such as organic composites, due to its “cold” characteristic. However, despite the current (and justified) craze for cold spray, little is still known about the potential of this process for this type of application. The work demonstrated the feasibility of cold spray for satisfactory metallization of PA66-matrix composites with Al. This paves the way for using cold spray as an advantageous substitute process for the industrial protection of polymer-based composites.

Erosion-resistant coatings on high-temperature polymer matrix composites are of great interest for turbine blade applications. This study evaluates the erosion resistance of thermal spray coatings using conventional weight loss methods in order to compute net erosion volume loss and assess thermal cycling durability. During erosion tests, coated polymer composite coupons were subjected to runway sand and aluminum oxide erodent at different temperatures and angles of incidence. Erosion test data are reported along with the results of coated polymer matrix composite blades.

High velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) combustion spraying has previously been shown to be a viable method for depositing polymer and polymer/ceramic composite coatings. The addition of hard particulate reinforcing phases to soft polymeric matrices should improve their durability and wear performance. Nano-sized diamond is an ideal reinforcing phase, owing to its high hardness and desirable thermal properties. Composite coatings comprising a Nylon-11 matrix reinforced with nanodiamonds have been successfully produced by HVOF. An important challenge is preserving the structure of the nanoparticles after thermal spray deposition and achieving a uniform dispersion of them within the polymeric matrix. Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence and retention of nanodiamonds after HVOF deposition. Understanding of the role of variables including the % loading of reinforcing phase in the matrix and powder preparation route are necessary. The coatings exhibited improved sliding wear resistance in macromechanical tests. Nanoindentation studies demonstrated an improvement in deformation behavior and recovery of the HVOF nanodiamond Nylon-11/nanodiamond composites subjected to deformation.

Thermal spray of polymers has had limited investigation due to the narrow processing windows that are inherent to polymer powders, especially their low temperatures of thermal degradation. The polymer poly aryl ether ether ketone (PEEK) has a high thermal degradation temperature and high resistance to alkaline and acidic attack. These properties led to PEEK being selected for investigation. To minimise thermal degradation of the particles, the high velocity air fuel (HVAF) technique was used. To investigate the effect of substrate pre-treatment on single splat properties, single splats were collected on aluminium 5052 substrates with six different pretreatments. The single splats collected were imaged by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and image analysis was performed with ImageJ, an open source scientific graphics package. On substrates held at 323°C it was found that substrate pretreatment had a significant effect on the circularity and area of single splats, and also on the number of splats deposited on the substrates. Increases in splat circularity, area, and the number of splats deposited on the surface were linked to the decrease in chemisorbed water on the substrate surface and the decrease of surface roughness. This proved that surface chemistry and roughness are crucial to forming single splats with good properties, which will lead to coatings of good properties.