Metallization of polymers by cold spraying with low melting point powders

通过金属涂层对聚合物进行金属化可以改善耐磨性等性能，并赋予电导和导热性等新的**性能。有几种可能的方法来涂覆金属涂层，其中之一是冷喷涂，通过将金属粉末加速到超过所谓的临界速度来施加涂层，在这一点上粉末沉积到表面。事实上，冷喷涂属于**被称为热喷涂的涂层工艺，但由于**粉末在整个过程中保持固体，因此与这一类别中的其他变体不同。这避免了**聚合物基板的热损坏和金属氧化等问题。不幸的是，对于航空航天工业中的主要聚合物碳纤维增强聚合物**复合材料(CFRP)，McGill的研究表明**只有TiN粉末可以通过冷喷涂成功沉积，最大沉积效率(即**喷粉沉积百分比)约为16%。支持公司5N Micro Powders**Inc.已经开发了一系列非常低熔点的金属粉末，因此**此项目的非常直接的目标是看看这些粉末中是否有可冷喷涂的，以及是否有比纯锡具有更好的冷喷涂**特性的粉末。这一领域的任何成功都将以聚合物涂层的形式增加这些**粉末的应用数量。由于目前这些粉末的应用主要集中在电子领域，涂料应用的成功将极大地增加销售量。

Metallization of polymers by metallic coatings can improve such properties as wear resistance, and impart new**properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity. There are several possible routes to applying a metal**coating, one of these being cold spray, which applies the coating by accelerating metal powders beyond a**so-called critical velocity, at which point the powder deposits onto the surface. In fact, cold spray belongs to**the coating processes known as thermal spray, but differs from the other variants in this category by virtue of**the powder remaining solid during the whole process. This avoids such problems as heat damage of the**polymer substrate and oxidation of the metal. Unfortunately, for Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer**Composites (CFRPs), which are the dominant polymer in the aerospace industry, work at McGill has shown**that only tin powders can be successfully deposited by cold spray, with maximum deposition efficiencies (i.e.**percentage of powder sprayed that is deposited) of about 16%. The supporting company, 5N Micro Powders**Inc., have developed a series of very low melting point metallic powders, so the very straightforward goal of**this Engage is to see if any of these powders are cold sprayable, and if any give better cold sprayability**characteristics than pure Sn. Any success in this field will increase the number of applications for these**powders in the form of coatings for polymers. Since the current applications for these powders chiefly resides**in the electronics area, success in coatings applications would greatly increase the sales volumes.