Mechanistic insights into high strain rate deposition of tantalum carbide coatings via cold spray
While cold spray (CS) is traditionally limited to metals and metal-ceramic composites, this study demonstrates its capability to consolidate a pure ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC), tantalum carbide (TaC), a superhard material considered highly challenging for processing. Using in-situ high-spe...
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Elsevier
2025-10-01
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| Series: | Materials & Design |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525009840 |
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| author | Ambreen Nisar Sohail M.A.K. Mohammed Denny John Anil Lama Yiefi Fu Rony T Murickan Sudipta Seal Arvind Agarwal |
| author_facet | Ambreen Nisar Sohail M.A.K. Mohammed Denny John Anil Lama Yiefi Fu Rony T Murickan Sudipta Seal Arvind Agarwal |
| author_sort | Ambreen Nisar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While cold spray (CS) is traditionally limited to metals and metal-ceramic composites, this study demonstrates its capability to consolidate a pure ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC), tantalum carbide (TaC), a superhard material considered highly challenging for processing. Using in-situ high-speed imaging and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we investigated the consolidation mechanisms induced by high strain rate impacts during CS of TaC. The process begins with anchoring larger micron-sized TaC particles into the softer aluminum substrate, followed by buildup through finer sub-micron particles (∼200 nm to 1 µm). High-speed imaging reveals that large particles characterized by high Stokes numbers disrupt the bow shock front and anchor into the substrate, enabling finer particles to evade deflection and contribute to coating growth. Substrate topography and hardness critically influence particle retention. Softer substrate promotes mechanical interlocking, while pre-deposited TaC layers enhance adherence of finer particles. TEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirm nanoscale grain refinement, dynamic recrystallization, and high dislocation densities, signifying plastic deformation and hardening in brittle ceramics. The resulting TaC coating exhibits a nanohardness of ∼31.6 GPa and shallow scratch penetration (∼2 µm), demonstrating exceptional wear resistance. This work establishes a new pathway for CS processing of pure UHTCs for extreme aerospace and hypersonic applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dcb36463c1d34deb9ad174d91e4c7dbe |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0264-1275 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials & Design |
| spelling | doaj-art-dcb36463c1d34deb9ad174d91e4c7dbe2025-08-20T03:36:46ZengElsevierMaterials & Design0264-12752025-10-0125811456410.1016/j.matdes.2025.114564Mechanistic insights into high strain rate deposition of tantalum carbide coatings via cold sprayAmbreen Nisar0Sohail M.A.K. Mohammed1Denny John2Anil Lama3Yiefi Fu4Rony T Murickan5Sudipta Seal6Arvind Agarwal7Cold Spray and Rapid Deposition (ColRAD) Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174, USACold Spray and Rapid Deposition (ColRAD) Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174, USACold Spray and Rapid Deposition (ColRAD) Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174, USACold Spray and Rapid Deposition (ColRAD) Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174, USADepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center, Nanoscience Technology Center, Biionix Cluster, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USACold Spray and Rapid Deposition (ColRAD) Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174, USADepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center, Nanoscience Technology Center, Biionix Cluster, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USACold Spray and Rapid Deposition (ColRAD) Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33174, USA; Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284-3068, USA; Corresponding author.While cold spray (CS) is traditionally limited to metals and metal-ceramic composites, this study demonstrates its capability to consolidate a pure ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC), tantalum carbide (TaC), a superhard material considered highly challenging for processing. Using in-situ high-speed imaging and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we investigated the consolidation mechanisms induced by high strain rate impacts during CS of TaC. The process begins with anchoring larger micron-sized TaC particles into the softer aluminum substrate, followed by buildup through finer sub-micron particles (∼200 nm to 1 µm). High-speed imaging reveals that large particles characterized by high Stokes numbers disrupt the bow shock front and anchor into the substrate, enabling finer particles to evade deflection and contribute to coating growth. Substrate topography and hardness critically influence particle retention. Softer substrate promotes mechanical interlocking, while pre-deposited TaC layers enhance adherence of finer particles. TEM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirm nanoscale grain refinement, dynamic recrystallization, and high dislocation densities, signifying plastic deformation and hardening in brittle ceramics. The resulting TaC coating exhibits a nanohardness of ∼31.6 GPa and shallow scratch penetration (∼2 µm), demonstrating exceptional wear resistance. This work establishes a new pathway for CS processing of pure UHTCs for extreme aerospace and hypersonic applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525009840Cold spray (CS)Ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs)High-speed imagingSevere plastic deformation (SPD)Dynamic recrystallization |
| spellingShingle | Ambreen Nisar Sohail M.A.K. Mohammed Denny John Anil Lama Yiefi Fu Rony T Murickan Sudipta Seal Arvind Agarwal Mechanistic insights into high strain rate deposition of tantalum carbide coatings via cold spray Materials & Design Cold spray (CS) Ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) High-speed imaging Severe plastic deformation (SPD) Dynamic recrystallization |
| title | Mechanistic insights into high strain rate deposition of tantalum carbide coatings via cold spray |
| title_full | Mechanistic insights into high strain rate deposition of tantalum carbide coatings via cold spray |
| title_fullStr | Mechanistic insights into high strain rate deposition of tantalum carbide coatings via cold spray |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mechanistic insights into high strain rate deposition of tantalum carbide coatings via cold spray |
| title_short | Mechanistic insights into high strain rate deposition of tantalum carbide coatings via cold spray |
| title_sort | mechanistic insights into high strain rate deposition of tantalum carbide coatings via cold spray |
| topic | Cold spray (CS) Ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) High-speed imaging Severe plastic deformation (SPD) Dynamic recrystallization |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264127525009840 |
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