Effect of Velocity and Impact Angle on Residual Stress Generation in Cold Spray Process – A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study

Cold Spray (CS) process is a solid-phase metal deposition technique capable of depositing micro to nanosized particles on a substrate without melting the particles. The CS process thus retains the original mechanical and chemical properties of the coating material. Residual stresses are an important factor affecting the quality, strength, and performance of the coated substrate in CS process. Currently, there is a lack of clear understanding of the residual stress generation in CS process and its control measures. Existing studies have not investigated the type III residual stress in CS process. This study attempts to investigate the effects of impact velocity and angle of impact on the Type III residual stress generation in CS process using molecular dynamics simulation technique. The study considers the impact of nanosized copper particles on copper substrate and the magnitude of the residual stresses is monitored. It is seen that the coated surface retains both tensile and compressive residual stresses. A higher angle impact shows higher compressive residual stresses, which are beneficial to industrial applications. Similarly, 400 m/s impact velocity showed the highest distribution of compressive residual stress on the body. The study results would be crucial in extending the industrial applications of the CS process.