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诸如耐磨性等性能，并赋予诸如导电性和导热性等新的性能。有几种可能的途径来施加金属涂层，其中之一是冷喷涂，其通过加速金属粉末超过所谓的临界速度来施加涂层，在该临界速度下，粉末沉积在表面上。事实上，冷喷涂属于 ** 被称为热喷涂的涂层工艺，但与该类别中的其他变体的不同之处在于 ** 粉末在整个过程中保持固体。这避免了诸如聚合物基底的热损伤和金属氧化的问题。不幸的是，对于碳纤维增强聚合物 ** 复合材料（CFRP），这是航空航天工业中的主要聚合物，麦吉尔大学的工作表明 ** 只有锡粉可以通过冷喷涂成功沉积，具有最大的沉积效率（即 **沉积的喷涂粉末的百分比）为约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，所以这次Engage的目标是看看这些粉末中是否有任何一种是冷喷涂的，如果有任何一种比纯Sn具有更好的冷喷涂性能 **。这一领域的任何成功都将增加这些粉末在聚合物涂层中的应用数量。由于这些粉末目前的应用主要是在电子领域，涂料应用的成功将大大增加销售量。

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.