Cold spraying of mixed Sn-Al powders onto carbon fibre reinforced polymers

Pure metal coatings have successfully been cold sprayed on Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymers (CFRPs) in previous studies at McGill University. As a means to improve coating conductivity for lightning-strike protection (LSP) purposes, coatings with mixed elements were tested. The studied coatings were based on a mix of tin powder and aluminum, a metal commonly used in the aerospace industry for its lightweight properties. The different coatings were characterized and compared to results on pure tin coatings. The deposition efficiency (DE) and the conductivity were measured for different conditions and compared to those of pure tin coatings. Based on the results, mixing tin and aluminium powders is discussed and various mechanisms related to cold spraying mixed powders on polymers are explored.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye