Nanosecond-Pulse Laser Assisted Cold Spraying of Al–Cu Aluminum Alloy

• Main Authors: Chen Zhang, Dongbin Zhang, Can Luo, Weiping Peng, Xusheng Zang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-02-01
• Series: Coatings
• Subjects: cold spray; nanosecond-pulse laser; hybrid processing; aluminum alloy
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/11/3/267

In this study, nanosecond-pulse laser is used in combination with cold spraying to form a hybrid solid-state forming technology: nanosecond-pulse laser assisted cold spraying. This method successfully manufactured Al-Cu high-strength aluminum alloy coatings. The nanosecond-pulse laser reduced the porosity of the coatings. The laser-induced micro-texture on the substrate surface had the ability of improving the bonding strength of the coating-substrate interface. The bonding strength was closely related to the depth of the micro-texture. The deeper micro-texture caused an unfused interface on the bottom of the texture, which produced voids and reduced the bonding strength. The nanosecond-pulse lasers can also increase the hardness of the coatings. The assistance of the nanosecond-pulse laser has proved to be an effective method to improve the quality of cold sprayed metal coatings.