Abradable coatings are designed to wear sacrificially when contact is made with a mating part. Typically, these coatings are produced by HVOF and plasma spray processes. Coatings of aluminum-silicon with embedded polymer additives have proven to be adequate abradable coatings for the low operating temperatures found in the compressor section of jet engines. The addition of these additives weakens the coating’s matrix material by acting as a site of particle release. The Cold Spray deposition process is capable of producing a wide variety of aluminum alloy coatings could potentially be an alternative deposition process for abradable coatings.

The objective of this study is to develop aluminum silicone-based abradable coatings using the Cold Spray deposition process. Several combinations of the metal matrix and the polymer additives were created and subsequently sprayed. In this paper, mechanical properties of these aluminum silicon-based coatings are examined. The coatings’ microstructures are characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the coatings are subjected to adhesive strength and hardness testing according to standard mechanical test methods. The particle velocity measurement system, the testing method, and the effects of the polymer additives on the coating microstructure, bond strength, and hardness are described in this paper.