Crystallization Evolution of Cold-Sprayed Pure Ni Coatings

Cold spraying is a coating technology on the basis of aerodynamics and high-speed impact dynamics. Spray particles (usually 1-50 mu m in diameter) are accelerated to high velocity (typically 300-1200 m/s) by a high-speed gas (preheated air, nitrogen, or helium) flow that is generated through a convergent-divergent de Laval type nozzle. The coating forms through the intensive plastic deformation of particles impacting on the substrate at temperatures well below the melting point of the spray material. In the present paper, the main processing parameters affecting the crystallization behavior of pure Ni cold spray deposits on IN718 alloy are described. Various experimental conditions have been analyzed: gas temperature and pressure, nozzle to substrate distance. In particular, the study deals with those conditions leading to a strong grain refinement, with an acceptable level of the deposits mechanical properties. In precise spray conditions, a shift toward amorphous phases has been observed and studied. A systematic analysis of microstructural evolution, performed through TEM observations, as a function of processing parameters is presented.