Formation of Splats from Suspension Particles with Solid Inclusions Finely Dispersed in a Melted Metal Matrix

A theoretical model has been developed to describe the splats formation from composite particles of several tens of micrometers in size whose liquid metal binder contains a high volume concentration of ultra-fine refractory solid inclusions uniformly distributed in the binder. A theoretical solution was derived, enabling evaluation of splat thickness and diameter, and also the contact temperature at the particle-substrate interface, under complete control of key physical parameters (KPPs) of the spray process (impact velocity, temperature, and size of the particle, and substrate temperature) versus the concentration of solid inclusions suspended in the metal-binder melt. Using the solution obtained, the calculations performed demonstrate the possibility of formulating adequate requirements on the KPPs of particle-substrate interaction providing a deposition of ceramic-metal coatings with predictable splat thickness and degree of particle flattening on the substrate, and also with desired contact temperature during the formation of the first coating monolayer.