Preparation of metallic coatings on polymer matrix composites by cold spray

In the present work, an Al metallic coating and an Al/Cu bimetallic coating were prepared on the surface of a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite (PMC) using a cold spray system with nitrogen as process and powder carrier gas. The microstructure, microhardness, and bond strength of the resultant coatings are analyzed. The bonding mechanism of the coatings, especially the deposition behavior of the Al particles on the PMC surface is discussed. Results had shown that cold spraying enables the deposition of the metallic and bimetallic coatings directly onto the PMC surface with precise process control and reasonable bonding of feedstock and substrate material. The surface metallization of PMC via cold spraying process presents promising application prospects. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.