Microstructure of Kinetic Spray Coatings: A Review

Abstract

Kinetic spray process has been applied to various industrial fields such as automotive, aviation, and defense industries due to its availability to produce high-performing coating layer. However, since the properties of kinetic-sprayed coating layer are significantly affected by the microstructures of deposit, the microstructures of the deposit should be controlled to acquire advanced coating layer and, accordingly, deep understanding of microstructural evolution must be achieved before controlling the microstructure of the coating layer. This paper gives an overview of contents related to the microstructure of kinetic-sprayed deposition. The most powerful influencing factors in microstructural evolution of kinetic-sprayed coating layer are instant generation of thermal energy and high-strain, high-strain-rate plastic deformation at the moment of particle impact. A high-density coating layer with low porosity can be produced, although some micro-cracks are occasionally induced at the interparticle boundary or at the inner region of the particles. Also, a microstructure which is distinct from the inner particle region is created in the vicinity of the particle-particle or particle-substrate interface region. However, almost no crystal phase transformation or chemical reaction is induced since the deposited particles are not heated directly by a thermal energy source.