A numerical study on the cold sprayability of carbon fibre reinforced composites

One of the open questions in cold spraying on fibre reinforced composites is the optimal thickness of the top layer to provide a suitable base for successful deposition of the metallic particles and at the same time to hinder the probable damage of the fibres. In this study, a detailed finite element model is developed to study the deformation of a single Cu particle deposition on to polyether ether ketone (PEEK) substrate reinforced with carbon fibres. A PEEK layer with 30, 40 or 60 μm thickness was considered on the top surface of the composite. The particle impact velocity was varied in the range of 300-600 m/s to analyse its effects on the induced deformations as well as the structural integrity of the critical carbon fibres. It is believed that the proposed model can provide a helpful tool for predicting the optimal conditions in the metallization of polymers using the cold spray technique.