Evaluating fracture toughness of cold sprayed IN625 coatings: Micro-scratching method

Cold spray deposition of metals and alloys has gained considerable attention due to its advanced applications across various industries. This technique offers numerous advantages, including the absence of phase changes and oxidation. However, the process presents challenges due to its inherent complexities. Plastic deformation is crucial for the successful deposition of powder particles during cold spray. Therefore, achieving an optimal level of plastic deformation is essential. Fracture toughness is one of the important properties that can help understand the degree of plastic deformation in cold-sprayed coatings. Yet, measuring fracture toughness in these coatings is challenging because most evaluation methods are destructive and require large sample sizes. This study investigates the feasibility of predicting the fracture toughness of cold-sprayed coatings. Specifically, the micro-scratching method is employed to predict the fracture toughness of cold-sprayed IN625 coatings. IN625 is selected because of its high-end applications in sectors such as nuclear, marine, and aerospace component manufacturing. In addition to evaluating fracture toughness, the deposited coatings undergo rigorous testing and characterization to establish the microstructure-process-property relationship. The scaling of frictional force and fracture toughness confirms the validity of using scratch data for fracture toughness calculations. Hence, fracture toughness of the resulting coatings was successfully evaluated.