Research on the Coating Porosity and Deposition Efficiency During Cold Spraying with Modified Nozzle
摘要
This article presents the results of an experimental study of the porosity of coatings and the efficiency of their spraying obtained using a low-pressure cold spraying machine DIMET-405, and also compares the results obtained for a serial nozzle of the unit and the proposed modified nozzle design. The authors put forward a hypothesis about improving the properties of the coating by changing the nozzle geometry due to an increase in the normal component of the velocity of impact of powder particles with the substrate and an increase in the temperature of the particles. Two metal-ceramic powder mixtures were selected as the sprayed powder material, namely: the first based on aluminum and the second based on nickel. In this case, the working parameters of spraying were the same and corresponded to the manufacturer’s recommendations, and the coatings were applied using two versions of the nozzle unit design: modified and standard. Samples of aluminum alloy D16T served as a substrate for applying the coatings. The microstructure was studied on a scanning electron microscope on prepared micrographs. The porosity was estimated on the obtained images using the ImageJ software package. The deposition efficiency was calculated by weighing the samples before and after spraying, taking into account the mass of the powder used to form this coating. During the research, results were obtained that indicate that the use of a modified nozzle allows to reduce the porosity of coatings for both the first and second powder mixtures, as well as to increase the spraying productivity during their production. The obtained results are published for the first time and allow, when implementing the proposed design of the nozzle apparatus, to develop recommendations and obtain improved coating characteristics and their lower cost.