image: The Cold Gas Dynamic Spray (CGDS) process is already used in the manufacture of aircraft parts and other delicate surfaces.
However the entire CGDS process from in-flight zone to particle deposition zone is very hard to predict numerically.
The CGDS deposition zone is now 3D modelled to show the effects of temperature for the first time, by Professor Tien-Chien Jen from the University of Johannesburg in research published in the Journal of Thermal Spray Technology.
This series of images shows the simulated contours of temperature for a 5 micron meter copper particle impacting aluminium at different velocities.
Bonding is insufficient up to 500 m/s - white gaps show underneath the particle. From 600 m/s successful bonding occurs. At this velocity the model predicts that the average particle impact zone temperature will reach 691 C, which is higher than 60% of copper's melting temperature (650 C), required by the hypothesis.
Credit: Hong-Shen Chen, University of Johannesburg.