Microstructural Characterization of Conventional and Nanomaterial Copper Cold Spray Coatings
*Corresponding Author: Kristin Sundberg, Army Research Labs, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts, U.S.A, Email: kristinsundberg7@yahoo.com
Copyright: © 2020 . This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
The microstructure of conventional and nanomaterial Cu cold spray coatings is explored to understand why nanomaterial Cu cold spray performs better than conventional Cu cold spray in the contact killing of Influenza A Virus [19]. Powder, single-splats from laser induced projectile impact testing (LIPIT), and consolidated cold spray coatings are imaged using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Sample composition is confirmed using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Results show nanomaterial Cu to have a much smaller grain size than conventional Cu. Nanoindentation is used to confirm microstructural differences, showing nanomaterial Cu to have greater hardness. LIPIT and consolidated cross-sections identified grain refinement at the particle-substrate interface for both nanomaterial and conventional Cu. Follow-on work with corrosion testing will be performed to better understand Cu ion release rate in relation to the differing material microstructures for antimicrobial applications.