Cold sprayed coatings characterized by positron annihilation spectroscopy

Cold spray additive manufacturing technology (CSAM) is a progressive method of deposition of metals and alloys. Its inherent work principles allow production of the materials below their melting points, thereby avoiding several undesired material degradation processes. Among other inherently associated phenomena, the work principles of CSAM involve an extreme plastic deformation of the produced material. Positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS) is an analytical technique capable of studying deformation on the atomic scale level, even in extremely deformed materials. In our study, the first historical analysis of CSAM materials by PAS was carried out. The obtained information (including, e.g., quantification of the dislocation density in the materials) presents an interesting contribution to our knowledge of the deformation phenomenon in CSAM, complementary to the description of deformation processes by FEM modeling and microscopic observations.