Simulation of Low-Pressure Cold-Sprayed SiC Particles Penetration on the 3D-Printed Polymeric Part

This work investigates the penetration behavior of SiC particles into Digital Light Processing (DLP)-printed thermoset substrates under low-pressure cold-spray conditions, aiming to enhance surface hardness and wear resistance. A coupled simulation framework was established in which particle acceleration was obtained from CFD using ANSYS Fluent, and high-speed impact and embedding were modeled through ANSYS Explicit Dynamics. Two particle diameters (25 μm and 60 μm) were examined across inlet pressures from 2 to 5 bar to evaluate both the continuous influence of pressure and the two-level effect of particle size. Mesh convergence was achieved at a resolution of dp/20, ensuring numerical stability and computational efficiency. The results showed a strong dependence of penetration depth on pressure and particle size: for 25 μm particles, penetration increased from 0.76 dp at 2 bar to 1.53 dp at 5 bar, while 60 μm particles exhibited deeper absolute embedding due to their significantly higher kinetic energy. Response-surface analysis further revealed nonlinear pressure effects and a predominantly linear size-dependent shift. Experimental validation at 3 bar confirmed a penetration depth of approximately 1 dp, demonstrating good agreement between simulation and physical observation. Overall, the validated workflow provides quantitative insight into particle–substrate interaction in thermoset polymers and offers a practical basis for controlled particle embedding as a surface-strengthening strategy in additive manufacturing.