Numerical simulations of ceramic deposition and retention in metal ceramic composite cold spray
Abstract Cold spray involving ceramic particle and metal substrates has been investigated using systematic numerical simulations, considering dynamic fragmentation of the ceramic particle. The crater depth has been demonstrated to be a key factor in determining the ceramic retention. For soft substrates, the ceramic retention can also be greatly affected by the occurrence of jetting that induces highly localized plastic deformation at the crater edges to result in ceramic loss. On the other hand, hard substrates exhibit negligible deformation and subsequently limited ceramic retention, with the degree of retention found to be influenced by thermal softening of the substrate. Furthermore, it has been shown that substrate roughness can mitigate jetting and increase crater depth, thus encourage ceramic retention. The present clarifies the roles of various factors in controlling first layer deposition efficiency of ceramic on metal substrates, providing new mechanistic information for understanding the initial stage of composite coating buildup through cold spray.