Cold gas spraying as additive manufacturing technique: Attainable properties of high strengths materials

After two decades of research, cold gas spraying is nowadays widely spread and used in many industrial applications. Besides its conventional use, new development trends promote cold gas spraying as an additive manufacturing technique. In comparison to already established additive manufacturing methods like selective laser melting or laser metal deposition, cold gas spraying promises shorter production times due to more than an order of magnitude higher deposition rates. Moreover, reaching bulk-like properties of cold-sprayed deposits material for a variety of materials already in as-sprayed state could further reduce production steps and costs, by making time consuming post heat treatments redundant. For additive manufacturing, it is essential that the deposited material shows the performance needed in the respective application. Taking Ni and Ti-6Al-4V as examples, the present study focuses on the prediction of attainable properties of the as-deposited material as gained by cold spraying. Gained results were linked to the coating quality parameter η as the ratio between impact and critical velocity. For both materials, the applied quality parameter concept proves as valuable tool to predict coating properties or needed post spray measures, and in general, should boost the applications of cold spraying as additive manufacturing technique.