Metallisation of polycarbonates using a low pressure cold spray method

Abstract

In many industries, polymers are in great demand due to their low weight and good mechanical properties. However, films and coatings are sometimes applied to improve polymer surface properties. This work presents a study on the metallisation of polycarbonates using a low pressure cold spray (LPCS) method. Two types of commercial powders were selected for the deposition of coatings: (i) tin and (ii) aluminium. The coatings were applied (i) on an unmodified substrate and (ii) on a substrate with an interlayer, which enabled the formation of good adherent aluminium coatings. A light and scanning microscopy was used to analyse the microstructure of coatings. Electrical conductivity was determined using the four-probe method and is discussed in relation to the oxygen content. Moreover, bond strength and microhardness were investigated.

Characterization of Cold-Spray Coatings on Fiber-Reinforced Polymers through Nanoindentation Tests

“…Unfortunately, the abovementioned technologies suffer from a series of disadvantages: long production cycle and high cost of the mould for electroforming, distortion of the substrate surface resulting from the molten particles, and high-temperature flames in thermal spraying (TS) [6][7][8]. Compared to these techniques, cold-spray (CS) deposition provides intriguing advantages when spraying metallic particles on polymeric or FRPs substrates [9]: the deposition is made possible only by a mechanical interlocking mechanism, and no chemical reactions are required [10]. Moreover, compared with thermal spray processes, a less heat input is required in cold spray, therefore, the heat effects such as surface distortion, oxides, void, phase transformation, and residual stresses are considerably reduced in the coatings [11][12][13][14][15].…”

“…On these premises, cold spray appears to be a suitable technique to process temperature-sensitive materials, such as polymers and polymer-based composites, without reaching the melting or degradation temperature of the substrate material [9,10,16,17]. Although the deposition on metallic substrates has been widely studied, the deposition on polymeric surfaces is a relatively new branch of cold spraying.…”

3D-MID Technology for Surface Modification of Polymer-Based Composites: A Comprehensive Review

“…It also has good electrical insulating properties that are virtually independent of temperature and moisture. The glass transition temperature is between 140 and 150 °C [ 100 , 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 ].…”

Material Characterization of PMC/TBC Composite Under High Strain Rates and Elevated Temperatures

“…There are other methods, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) or sol-gel, but they are dedicated to relatively small parts. The cold spray technique is a promising method [4], but using it, only metallization can be made by producing an interlayer. In [5], the authors proposed a different solution based on the use of a ceramic mat that was applied to the CFRP (carbon complete saturation, the 200 × 300 mm mat was allowed to dry freely, turning it over several times.…”