Properties of SiC-reinforced aluminum alloy coatings produced by the cold gas dynamic spraying process

SiC-reinforced Al–12Si alloy coatings were produced using the Cold Gas Dynamic Spraying process. Blends of several compositional variations of Al–12Si and SiC particles were created and subsequently sprayed. The microstructural features of the resulting coatings are examined and the mechanical properties, in particular the adhesion strength and the hardness, of the composite coatings are reported. The results show that, depending on the initial SiC volume fraction of the blend, between 50% and 33% of the SiC in the feedstock powder was retained in the coatings. The adhesion strength of the coatings to their substrates was found to slightly decrease with increasing SiC content while the inclusion of SiC particles within the Al–12Si matrix improved significantly the hardness of the coating.