Our laboratory
Our laboratory is equipped with a modular, high-pressure cold spray system capable of processing most of the technically relevant metals and alloys. Two independent powder feeders offer deposition of mixture of different metals or a formation of gradient/sandwich structures. Owing to a heavy-duty, fully integrated computer-controlled robotic handler system, we can deposit onto planar, axisymmetric rotational as well as complex geometries. Taking advantage of the facilities readily available at our home institute, we can fully analyze the microstructure and chemical/phase composition, as well physical, mechanical or thermal properties of the deposits.
Cold spray equipment
- modular CGT Kinetics 8000-X high-pressure cold spray system
- array of convergent-divergent nozzles optimized for processing different materials
- two independent high-pressure powder feeders
- liquid nitrogen 16 cubic metres tank, cryo-pump and evaporation unit for long-term continuous operation
- ABB IRB4400 heavy-duty Foundry-edition robot, RobotStudio software
- laser-based online Accuraspray CS diagnostics of in-flight particle properties
Analytical capabilities
- fully equipped powder processing and analytical laboratory (sieving, classification, milling and mechanical alloying, inert atmosphere heat treatment, plasma spheroidization)
- fully equipped metallographic laboratory
- two high-end scanning electron microscopes (SEM)
- determination of chemical and phase composition (XRD, XRF)
- mechanical testing (tensile, bending, fatigue, fracture toughness, hardness, wear)
- thermal testing and heat treatment (inert atmosphere furnaces, calorimetry, dilatometry, thermogravimetry, conductivity)