A laser-induced in-situ interfacial reaction enables inter-particle metallurgical bonding for cold sprayed Ti6Al4V

By using N 2 both as the propellant gas and as a reactant, an in-situ nitriding reaction between Ti6Al4V particles was achieved through the synchronous introduction of laser irradiation into cold spray (CS) process. As the laser power inceased, Ti 2 N and/or TiN phases formed at the boundaries of adjacent particles. These phases interconnected to creat a net-like structure, which facilitated inter-particle metallurgical bonding and significantly reduced the porosity of CS-Ti6Al4V deposits. This study presents a novel one-step method for producing highly densified CS-Ti6Al4V deposit, eliminating the need for expensive helium as a propulsive gas and avoiding any post-deposition heat treatment.