Method and apparatus for producing a cold-sprayed material application

Abstract

15-Jan-26 Abstract The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing a material application 10 on a substrate surface 20 by means of cold spraying. According to the invention, feedstock particles 14 and peening particles 16 are introduced into a process gas flow 20 in order to accelerate them. The accelerated particles 14 and peening particles 16 are directed in the process gas flow 20 onto the substrate surface. The feedstock particles 14 have a velocity to adhere to the substrate surface 30, thus forming the material application 10, and the peening particles 16 have a velocity that is too low for the peening particles 16 to adhere to the substrate surface 30. The feedstock particles 14 and the peening particles 16 comprise the same material or the same group of materials. [Fig. 4] Abstract 20 26 20 02 88 15 J an 2 02 6 A b s t r a c t 2 0 2 6 2 0 0 2 8 8 1 5 J a n 2 0 2 6 Fig. 3C Fig. 4 114 112 107 105 100 300 210 200 14 210 16 20 18 210 200 107 105 110 112 114 40 40 22 20 40 30 32 10 30 32 10 224 226 228 22 22 305 307a 307b 305 302 20 307 302 08 40 302112 114 20 307 22 18 228OT 107110 20032 105 08 200 224 307a30514 22 000210 11440 20 40 11210 30532 22210 9T 307b 226 1000 20 26 20 02 88 15 J an 2 02 6 2 2 6 J a n 2 0 2 6 1 6 2 2 3 2 3 0 5 1 0 7 1 1 2 2 0 2 6 2 0 0 2 8 8 1 5 2 0 4 0 2 1 0 2 2 1 4 3 2 1 1 0 2 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 2 2 8 1 8 2 2 2 0 1 1 2 1 1 4 3 0 2 4 0

Description

15 provided in a first container 224 and the peening particles 16 are provided in a second container 226. Both containers are connected to the particle injector 210, which feeds the particles provided by the respective containers 224, 226 into the process gas flow 20 (here in the convergent section 114 of the nozzle arrangement 110). This arrangement makes it possible to vary the ratio of 20 peening particles 16 to feedstock particles 14. For example, the particles introduced into the process gas flow 20 can comprise 15 vol% to 40 vol% of feedstock particles 14 and 60 vol% to 85 vol% of peening particles 16. The particles 14, 16 introduced into the nozzle arrangement 110 are captured and accelerated by the process gas flow 20. The particle-bearing process gas 25 flow 20 can then be focussed and directed onto the substrate surface 30. The structure of the material application is accomplished as has been explained in reference to Figure 2. As shown further in Figure 3C exemplarily, the particle injection arrangement 200 can comprise two separate containers 224, 226 each of which is allocated 30 at least one particle injector 210. 2026200288   15 Jan 2026 feedstock particles 14 are loaded into a first container 224 and are provided to a first particle injector 210. This particle injector 210 feeds the feedstock particles 14 into the process gas flow 20. As shown here exemplarily, the feedstock particles 14 are conveyed by a carrier gas flow 22. This carrier gas 5 flow 22 can be controlled by means of a controller 307a. For example, the quantity of the introduced feedstock particles 14 can be controlled via a metering device. Peening particles 16 are loaded into a second container 226 and are provided to a second particle injector 210. This particle injector 210 feeds the peening 10 particles 16 into the process gas flow 20. As shown here exemplarily, the peening particles 16 are conveyed by a carrier gas flow 22. This carrier gas flow 22 can be controlled by means of a controller 307b. For example, the quantity of the introduced peening particles 16 can be controlled via a metering device. 15 The position of introduction of the peening particles 16 and the feedstock particles 14 can be substantially identical (viewed in the direction of flow), or the peening particles 16 can be introduced into the process gas flow upstream or downstream of the feedstock particles 14. For example, the feedstock particles 14 and the peening particles 16 can be introduced into the convergent 20 section 114 of the nozzle arrangement 110. Similarly, it is possible that the feedstock particles 14 are fed into the convergent section 114 of the nozzle arrangement 110 and the peening particles 16 into the divergent section 112. It is also possible that the feedstock particles 14 are introduced into the divergent section 112 of the nozzle arrangement and the peening particles 16 into the 25 convergent section 114. The apparatus shown in Figure 3C makes it possible to introduce the feedstock particles 14 and the peening particles 16 separately and thus, among other things, to vary the ratio of peening and feedstock particles. The particles 14, 16 introduced into the process gas flow (particularly the nozzle arrangement 110) 30 are captured and accelerated by the process gas flow 20. The particle-bearing process gas flow 20 can then be focussed and directed onto the substrate 2026200288   15 Jan 2026 surface 30. The structure of the material application 10 is accomplished as has been explained in reference to Figure 2. In Figure 4, a further apparatus is shown schematically. The structure substantially corresponds to the structure shown in Figure 3A, i.e. a container 5   228 is provided with a premixed particle mixture 18 that is introduced into the process gas flow 200, here in the convergent section 114 of the nozzle arrangement. The apparatus 100 shown in Figure 4 differs substantially in the injection direction of the particles 14, 16 or the particle mixture 18, which is orientated here in the direction of the process gas flow 20. It is understood that 10 the apparatus shown in Figure 4 can also be designed with separate containers 224, 226 and / or at least two separate particle injectors 210 (similar to Figure 3C). Similarly, it is possible to provide at least one particle injector 210 orientated in the direction of the process gas flow 20 and at least one particle injector 210 orientated transverse to the direction of the process gas flow 20 in 15 order to introduce the particles 14, 16 into the process gas flow 20. In one aspect, the position of said at least one particle injector 210, in particular in the direction of the process gas flow 20, can be changeable in order to vary the injection position of the feedstock particles 14, the peening particles 16 and / or the particle mixture 18. 20 As shown in particular with reference to Figure 5, the particle injection arrangement 200 is configured to control, in particular to cool, the temperature of the feedstock particles and / or peening particles. In particular, the particle injector 210 can be designed to be temperature-controllable or coolable. Thus, the temperature of feedstock particles 14, the peening particles 16 and / or the 25 particle mixture 18 can be controlled, in particular cooled, before and during introduction into the process gas flow. If two separate particle injectors 210 are provided (e.g. see Figure 3C), the feedstock particles 14 and the peening particles 16 can be temperature controlled individually. As shown in Figure 5, the particle injector 210 can comprise a particle guide 30 channel 212. This can be located centrally. The particle guide channel 212 is 2026200288   15 Jan 2026 formed by a channel wall 214. The channel wall 214 comprises at least one cooling channel 216 for channelling a cooling agent, in particular cooling water. For example, the channel wall 214 can be designed double walled so that a cooling channel is formed between the radially interior wall and radially exterior 5 wall. Via a cooling agent inlet 226a, cooling agent can be fed to the particle injector 210, said cooling agent leaving the particle injector 210 via a cooling agent outlet 226b. Figure 6 shows a schematic velocity-temperature diagram which demonstrates the relationship between particle temperature and particle velocity for the 10 adherence of the particles onto a substrate surface. The solid lines represent the critical velocity vcrit16 of the peening particles 16 and the upper velocity veros16 of the peening particles 16. The dashed lines represent the critical velocity vcrit14 of the feedstock particles 14 and the upper velocity veros14 of the feedstock particles 14. If the feedstock particles 14 and the peening particles 15   16 impact the substrate surface at a velocity and temperature that exceeds the upper velocity veros14 and veros16, then the material application does not occur. Instead, it results in erosion effects on the substrate surface. Above the temperature-dependent critical velocity vcrit14 or vcrit16, the particles 14, 16 adhere to the substrate surface. This results in the material application. 20 Below the critical velocity vcrit14 and vcrit16, there is no adhesion. As the exemplary points show, the feedstock particles 14 are directed at the substrate surface at a velocity and speed (here approximately, for example, 700m / s and 240°C) so that these adhere. In contrast, the peening particles 16 are directed at the substrate surface at a velocity and temperature (here approximately, for 25 example, 500m / s and 70°C) so that these do not adhere but rather contribute to the consolidation of the material application. The shown velocity-temperature diagram is only exemplary. The critical velocity and the upper velocity are particularly dependent on the material of the used particles. 2026200288   15 Jan 2026 List of reference signs 10    material application 12    feedstock material 14    feedstock particles 5   16    peening particles 18    particle mixture 20   process gas flow 22    carrier gas flow 30    substrate surface 10   32    defect in the substrate surface 40   cooling agent 100  apparatus 105  heating arrangement 107  heating element 15   110  nozzle arrangement 112  divergent section 114  convergent section 200   particle injection arrangement 210   particle injector 20   212  particle guide channel 214 channel wall 216 cooling channel 216a cooling agent inlet 216b cooling agent outlet 25   224  container 226 container 228 container 300  process gas feeding device 302 flow controller 30   305  carrier gas feeding device 307 flow controller 307a flow controller 2026200288   15 Jan 2026 307b flow controller 1100 directing the carrier gas flow 1200 introducing the particles 1300 accelerating the particles 5   1400 directing the particles Tp    particle temperature vp     particle velocity vcrit14  critical velocity of feedstock particles vcrit16  critical velocity of peening particles 10   veros14 upper velocity of feedstock particles veros16 upper velocity of peening particles

Claims

1. Method (1000), in particular a cold-spraying method, for producing amaterial application (10) on a substrate surface (30), wherein the material application (10) is formed by feedstock particles (14) of a feedstock material (12), and wherein the method comprises the following:directing (1100) a process gas flow (20) through a convergent-divergent nozzle (110);introducing (1200) feedstock particles (14) and peening particles (16) into the process gas flow (20);accelerating (1300) the feedstock particles (14) and the peening particles (16) by means of a process gas flow (20) directed through the nozzle arrangement (110);directing (1400) the accelerated feedstock particles (14) and peening particles (16) in the process gas flow (20) onto a substrate surface (30), wherein the feedstock particles (14) have a velocity to adhere to the substrate surface (30), thus forming the material application (10), and wherein the peening particles (16) have a velocity that is too low for the peening particles (16) to adhere to the substrate surface (30), whereinthe peening particles (16) have a median particle size that is larger than the median particle size of the feedstock particles (14), and whereinthe feedstock particles (14) and the peening particles (16) comprise the same material or are made of the same group of materials.

2. Method (1000) according to claim 1, whereinthe introduction (1200) of the feedstock particles (14) occurs in the convergent section (114) of the nozzle arrangement (110) and / or in the divergent section (112) of the nozzle arrangement (110), and / or whereinthe introduction (1200) of the peening particles (16) occurs in the convergent section (114) of the nozzle arrangement (110) and / or in the divergent section (112) of the nozzle arrangement (110).2026200288   15 Jan 20263.    Method (1000) according to claim 1 or 2, whereinthe particles (14, 16) introduced into the process gas flow (20) comprise 15 vol% to 40 vol% of feedstock particles (14) and 60 vol% to 85 vol% of peening particles (16), or whereinthe particles (14, 16) introduced into the process gas flow (20) comprise 20 vol% to 35 vol% of feedstock particles (14) and 55 vol% to 80 vol% of peening particles (16), and / or whereinthe feedstock particles (14) have a median particle size in the range from 5 pm to 65 pm, or in the range from 15 pm to 50 pm or in the range from 20 pm to 45 pm, or in the range from 30 pm to 40 pm, and / or whereinthe peening particles have a median particle size in the range from 60 pm to 500 pm, or in the range from 90 pm to 350 pm or in the range from 150 pm to 320 pm, or in the range from 180 pm to 300 pm.

4. Method (1000) according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein thefeedstock particles (14) and the peening particles (16) are introduced into the process gas flow (20) as a particle mixture, or wherein the feedstock particles (14) and the peening particles (16) are introduced into the process gas flow (20) separately.

5. Method (1000) according to any of the claims 1 to 4, whereinthe feedstock particles (14) are accelerated to a velocity ranging from 200 m / s to 2000 m / s or to a velocity ranging from 500 m / s to 1500 m / s, or to a velocity ranging from 800 m / s to 1000 m / s, or to a velocity ranging from 200 m / s to 700 m / s or to a velocity ranging from 300 m / s to 500 m / s, and / or whereinthe peening particles (16) are accelerated to a velocity ranging from 100 m / s to 600 m / s or to a velocity ranging from 300 m / s to 550 m / s, or to a velocity ranging from 450 m / s to 500 m / s, or to a velocity ranging from 100 m / s to 400 m / s or to a velocity ranging from 150 m / s to 300 m / s.2026200288   15 Jan 20266.    Method (1000) according to any of the claims 1 to 5, whereinthe feedstock particles (14) upon impact on the substrate surface have a temperature ranging from 20 °C to 800 °C, or a temperature ranging from 25 °C to 600 °C, or a temperature ranging from 100 °C to 500 °C, or a temperature ranging from 150 °C to 400 °C, or a temperature ranging from 200 °C to 300 °C, and / or whereinthe peening particles (16) upon impact on the substrate surface have a temperature ranging from 25 °C to 300 °C, or a temperature ranging from 30 °C to 200 °C, or a temperature ranging from 50 °C to 120 °C, or a temperature ranging from 80 °C to 100 °C.

7. Method (1000) according to any of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the methodfurthermorecomprises controlling, in particular cooling, the temperature of the feedstock particles (14) and / or peening particles (16) before and / or during introduction into the process gas flow (20), whereinthe particles are introduced into the process gas flow (20), in particular, at a temperature ranging from 0°C to 400 °C, or ranging from 10°C to 250°C, or ranging from 25° to 200°C.

8. Method (1000) according to any of the claims 1 to 7, wherein thefeedstock particles (14) and the peening particles (16) comprise at least one of the following materials or consist of one of the following materials:aluminium,aluminium-based alloys,magnesium,magnesium-based alloys,zinc,zinc alloys,nickel,nickel-based alloys,titanium,2026200288   15 Jan 2026titanium-based alloys,copper,copper-based alloys,iron,iron-based alloys,cobalt,cobalt-based alloys,niobium,tantalum, and / or molybdenum.

9. Method (1000) according to any of the claims 1 to 8, wherein theprocess gas of the process gas flow (20) comprises at least one of the following gases:-      nitrogen,-      carbon dioxide,-      helium,-     compressed air,-     water vapour, and / or-      argon.

10. Method (1000) according to any of the claims 1 to 9, whereinthe process gas flow (20) upstream of the convergent-divergent nozzle arrangement (110) is heated to a temperature ranging from 200°C to 1400 °C, or ranging from 500°C to 1200°C, and / or whereinthe process gas flow (20) upstream of the convergent-divergent nozzle(110) comprises a pressure ranging from 5 bar to 100 bar or ranging from 40 bar to 60 bar.

11. Apparatus (100) for producing a cold-sprayed material application (10) on a substrate surface (30), wherein the apparatus for implementing the2026200288   15 Jan 2026method is configured according to any of the claims 1 to 10, and wherein the apparatus comprisesa heating arrangement (105) for controlling the temperature of the process gas flow (20), anda convergent-divergent nozzle arrangement (110), said nozzle arrangement (110) comprising a divergent section (112) and a convergent section (114), wherein the nozzle arrangement (110) is configured to direct and accelerate the temperature-controlled process gas flow (20), and wherein the apparatus (110) furthermorecomprises at least one particle injection arrangement (200), wherein the particle injection arrangement (200) is configured to introduce the feedstock particles (14) and / or peening particles (16) into the process gas flow (20), and whereinsaid at least one particle injection arrangement (200) is configured to control, in particular to cool, the temperature of the feedstock particles (14) and / or the peening particles (16).

12. Apparatus (100) according to claim 11, wherein said at least one particle injection arrangement (200) comprises a temperature-controllable, in particular coolable, particle injector (210), and whereinthe particle injector (210) optionally comprises a particle guide channel (212), which is formed by a channel wall (214), wherein the channel wall (214) comprises at least one cooling channel (216) for channelling a cooling agent, in particular cooling water.

13. Apparatus (100) according to claim 11 or 12, whereinthe particle injection arrangement (200) is configured to introduce a particle mixture comprising feedstock particles (14) and peening particles (16) into the divergent section (112) or the convergent section (114) of the nozzle arrangement (110), and / or whereinthe apparatus comprises at least two particle injection arrangements (200), wherein a first particle injection arrangement (200) is configured to2026200288   15 Jan 2026introduce the feedstock particles (14) into the divergent section (112) or the convergent section (114) of the nozzle arrangement (110), and wherein a second particle injection arrangement (200) is configured to introduce the peening particles (16) into the divergent section (112) or the convergent section (114) of the nozzle arrangement (110).

14. Apparatus (100) according to any of the claims 11 to 13, wherein said at least one particle injection arrangement (200) is configured to introduce feedstock particles (14) and / or peening particles (16) substantially in the direction of the process gas flow (20) into the divergent section (112) and / or the convergent section (114) of the nozzle arrangement, and / or whereinsaid at least one particle injection arrangement (200) is configured to introduce feedstock particles (14) and / or peening particles (16) into the divergent section (112) and / or the convergent section (114) of the nozzle arrangement at an angle a, in particular substantially transverse to the direction of the process gas flow (20).

15. Apparatus (100) according to any of the claims 11 to 14, wherein the apparatus comprises furthermore a process gas feeding device (300), and wherein the process gas feeding device is configured to feed the process gas to the heating arrangement (105) and / or to said at least one particle injection arrangement (200).Dated this 15 day of January 2026IMPACT-Innovations-GmbH and Helmut-Schmidt-Universitat, Universitat der Bundeswehr HamburgPatent Attorneys for the ApplicantMAXWELLS PATENT & TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS PTY LTD

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