Achievement of comprehensive wear and thermal property of cold spayed CuCrZr coating via gradient structure design

To address the inherent challenge of optimizing both strength and conductivity of the CuCrZr alloy, cold spraying is employed to enhance its surface with a comprehensive range of performance attributes. A novel gradient structure, featuring a SiC/CuCrZr layer at the top and an AlN/CuCrZr layer at the bottom, successfully fulfills the comprehensive requirements for wear resistance and thermal conductivity. Results show that the composite coating is composed of extensively deformed CuCrZr particles and undeformed ceramic particles and its microhardness and thermal conductivity closely adhere to the rule of mixtures. Additionally, the gradient coating shows the equivalent wear resistance to the SiC-CuCrZr coating. This study demonstrates the remarkable versatility of cold spraying in fabricating seamless gradient coating, while achieving predictable and controllable variations in microhardness and thermal conductivity across the coating’s thickness.