Structure and Properties of Composite Coatings Cold Sprayed from Powder Mixtures of Aluminum and Boron Carbide

In the present work, an experimental study of the effect of aluminum and boron carbide powder mixture composition on the microstructure and basic properties of the cold sprayed coatings was carried out for the first time. A series of coatings deposited on stainless steel substrates was obtained. The microstructure of the deposited coatings was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The microhardness and bonding strength of the coatings were measured. It was shown that an increase from 0 to 72 vol.% in the boron carbide content in the powder mixture leads to an increase in its content from 0 to 15-17 vol.% in the coating, its microhardness – from 46.3 to 72.4 HV0.3, and bonding strength – from 17.4 to 61.4 MPa. The obtained results open up broad prospects for the application of the cold spray method to deposition of functional coatings, which are highly demanded in the nuclear industry.