Cold gas spray coating methods and compositions

Abstract

Cold gas spray coating methods, compositions and articles. A cold gas spray method is described including spraying a composition containing at least one nickel or iron based material blended with a softer, shear-deformable, secondary phase metal and/or metal alloy, onto a surface to deposit a dense, porous coating. The compositions used in and articles produced by such methods are also described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cold gas spray method comprising spraying a composition containing a primary phase of at least one nickel or iron based material blended with a softer, shear-deformable, secondary phase metal and/or metal alloy, to deposit a dense, or porous coating on a substrate. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the primary phase of nickel or iron based material contains one or more of steel, stainless steel, nickel alloy, nickel superalloy, cobalt alloy, titanium alloy, and intermetallics. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the primary phase of nickel or iron based material contains one or more of nickel cladding, nickel powder, blended nickel-aluminum powder, and ceramic. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary phase contains one or more of copper, aluminum, silver, zinc, platinum, palladium, and alloys thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the secondary phase contains nickel particles at least partially clad with aluminum flakes. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the ceramic contains one or more of YSZ, alumina, tungsten carbides, CrC, TiO 2 , TiO x=1.7 to 1.9 , and SiC. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the ceramic is clad with a soft ductile alloy. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coating is at least 1 millimeter thick. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the coating has substantially no residual stress, low porosity, low oxide content, and substantially no internal cracking. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is sprayed at an average velocity of at least about 600 meters per second, at spray plume temperatures less than about 1000° C., at a feed rate greater than about 20 grams per minute. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the primary and secondary phase metals are combined by one or more of mechanical blending, mechanical alloying, mechanical cladding, agglomeration by spray drying, pelletizing, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, electrochemical deposition and/or plasma densification. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the agglomeration comprises agglomeration of nano-scale powders. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the physical vapor deposition comprises fluidized bed physical vapor deposition. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, and/or electrochemical deposition comprises deposition of at least one secondary phase metal on the outer surface of at least one primary phase metal. 
     
     
         15 . A composition particularly adapted for use in cold spray coating, comprising at least one primary phase of nickel or iron based material blended with a softer, shear-deformable, secondary phase metal and/or metal alloy. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein the primary phase of nickel or iron based material contains one or more of steel, stainless steel, nickel alloy, nickel superalloy, cobalt alloy, titanium alloy, and intermetallics. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein the primary phase of nickel or iron based material contains one or more of nickel cladding, nickel powder, blended nickel-aluminum powder, and ceramic. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein the secondary phase contains one or more of copper, aluminum, silver, zinc, platinum, palladium, and alloys thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein the secondary phase contains nickel particles at least partially clad with aluminum flakes 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the ceramic contains one or more of YSZ, alumina, tungsten carbides, CrC, TiO x=1.7 to 1.9, and SiC. 
     
     
         21 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the ceramic is clad with a soft ductile alloy. 
     
     
         22 . The coated article produced by the method of  claim 1 .