Assessment and Development of Thermal and Cold Spray Processes for Parent Metal Restoration

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I objective is to explore a range of overlay deposition processes, deposited material and property relationships, and economical solution for parent metal restoration technique. Overlay additive deposition processes are the primary means for parent metal restoration. Thermal spray has the ability to provide an overlay with limited thermal input to the substrate. However, conventional atmospheric based thermal spray metal/alloy deposits are prone to oxidation and a layered microstructure which are non-optimum from the structural point of view. Hence, this SBIR Phase I effort is aimed towards identifying and investigating in-depth the feasibility and applicability of different metal restoration processes such as Cold gas dynamic spraying, HVAF, CAKES and Warm Spray, to overcome the drawbacks that exist in the conventional processes. Furthermore this program will explore overlay thick coatings of Tungsten Carbide-Cobalt (WC-Co) and Chromium Carbide/Nickel Chrome on to Titanium and Nickel based substrates to meet the express needs identified by the Air Force.