Structure and Mechanical Properties of Thick Copper Coating Made by Cold Spray

The main purpose of this study was to form cold-sprayed copper coatings on A 516 low carbon steel, which is considered a prospective material for manufacturing used nuclear fuel containers. The 3 mm-thick Cu coatings were formed using the high pressure cold spray method with Nitrogen as the propellant gas. The deformation of copper particles during the deposition process was studied. The obtained SEM images of the Cu layer-A 516 low carbon steel substrate interface cross sections demonstrated that the Cu layer at the substrate interface had a dense microstructure with localized jet-metallic mixing areas. The Cu particles were deformed considerably more severely in this layer than in the consequently deposited upper layers. The steel substrate underwent severe deformation due to the impact of Cu particles. The mutual severe deformation of Cu particles and steel substrate resulted in a considerable increase of adhesion strength up to 120 MPa. The structure of coatings and coating-substrate interface was studied.