Deposition Characteristics of Diamond Enhanced by Plastically Deformed Nickel Layer in Kinetic Sprayed Bronze/Diamond Composite Coating

Originally, deposition mechanism of diamond particle is mostly embedding effect in kinetic spraying process. Accordingly, in spite of high cost, helium gas has been employed as a process gas to get high diamond fraction in the composite coating. In this study, the deposition behavior of bronze/diamond by kinetic spray process was compared with different process gas (i.e., helium and nitrogen). Bare and nickel coated diamond (mean size 20 μm and 26 μm respectively) were deposited on Al 6061-T6 substrate with fixed process temperature and pressure. For comparison with experimental results, plastic deformation behavior of nickel layer was simulated by finite element analysis (using ABAQUS/Explicit 6.7-2). Deformed morphology of nickel layer which is surrounded diamond was analyzed through scanning electron microscopy and electron probe micro analyzer methods. Diamond fraction in the composite coating was analyzed through image analysis method.