Effect of Spray Distance and Powder Feed Rate on Particle Velocity in Cold Spray Processes

Cold spray technology using micron-sized particles to produce coatings is increasingly used for reparative tasks in various industries. In a cold spray setup, the gun is usually connected to a robotic arm to deposit coatings on components with complex geometries. For these components, the standoff distance used in the cold spray process has to be large enough for easy maneuverability of the gun around a small radial feature. However, a small standoff distance is commonly found in most studies, which is thought to prevent a velocity drop of the particles over a larger distance. Here, a study was carried out by measuring the Inconel 625 particle velocity at different spray distances, ranging from 3 to 40 cm. The highest average velocity of 781 m/s was found at a spray distance of 8 cm. Furthermore, a study with varying powder feed rates was also conducted. An increase in the powder feed rate was found to have a minimal effect on the particle velocity. Inconel 625 coatings deposited at the optimum standoff distance (8 cm) were found to have low porosity and high hardness. The results in this study demonstrate that a larger standoff distance can be applied without a significant drop in velocity for cold spray applications requiring high maneuverability.