Bulk-like ductility of cold spray additively manufactured copper in the as-sprayed state

Abstract

In recent years, cold spray process is increasingly used for additive manufacturing of metallic components, referred to as cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM). Unlike the fusion-based AM processes, CSAM is achieved in a solid-state, bringing several advantages such as the absence of severe oxidation or phase composition changes. At the moment, the main limitation of CSAM is the generally low ductility of the as-sprayed deposits. In this paper, using Cu as a model material, we demonstrate a way to overcome this limitation. Importantly, a high ductility of the deposits in their as-sprayed state is achieved without a trade-off in mechanical strength. Furthermore, we show that without any post-heat treatment, the properties of CSAM Cu are comparable to bulk, non-AM Cu.

Keywords

• Cold spray
• Copper
• High ductility
• Additive manufacturing