Numerical modeling of metal powder impact on carbon fibre reinforced polymer composite substrates during cold spray

Cold spray provides an effective method for metallizing CFRP composite substrates ensuring a protective conductive coating. This work investigates, theoretically, the deposition mechanisms of metal powders on the fibre-reinforced polymer composites as well as its effect on the surface integrity of the composite substrates. It was found that the powder deposition was influenced by the integrity of the CFRP substrate, which directly depended on the material being sprayed, the impact velocities and its temperature. The results have been found in confidence with the experimental observations. The study revealed that increasing the particle impact velocity and temperature promoted the “crack-filling” mechanism. This study contributes important mechanistic knowledge towards understanding and predicting the metal deposition behaviour on CFRP substrates during cold spraying.