A critical analysis of collision dynamics pertaining to aluminum micro particles on aluminium 6061 alloy substrate in cold spray additive manufacturing process

Cold spray (CS) is a form of additive manufacturing process, involving the accumulation of ductile metal micro particles to create new surface coatings or free-standing structures. Metallic particles are accelerated through a gas stream, experience a high-strain-rate microscopic ballistic collisions against a target substrate. It yields tremendous amounts of kinetic energy from extreme plastic deformation of the particles and substrate. In this paper, the dynamic behavior of aluminium micro-particles during the collision is analysed using micro-ballistic method. Aluminum 6061 alloy particles, approximately 20 μm in diameter, impact and rebound off aluminum 6061 alloy substrate target surface over a broad range of surrounding temperatures and impact velocities. This, in turn, can provide insight into the underlying material science behind the cold spray process.