Study of Bonding Mechanisms in Cold Spray of Metal-to-Polymer through a Numerical Approach

Cold spray (CS) is a low-temperature process that can be used for the metallization of temperature-sensitive materials, such as polymers or polymer matrix composites, so coupling the lightweight of polymers with the wear resistance, physical properties and hardness of metals. The study of the cold spray of metal particles applied to polymers is still in its early stage and the deposition mechanisms underlying the process are not thoroughly understood yet. Moreover, numerical studies of cold spray of metal-to-polymer are almost completely absent in literature. Therefore, aiming to fulfill this gap of knowledge, the scope of this work is to develop a numerical FE model capable of predicting the impact and the adhesion of a micron size metallic particle onto a polymeric substrate. The results from the model were compared with the experimental outcomes found in literature to establish the effectiveness of the model that was used as a powerful tool to better understand the bonding mechanisms and all the related phenomena ruling the CS process of metal-to-polymer.