Development of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Coating by Cold Spray Technique

K. Ravi , Y. Ichikawa (1) , T. Deplancke , K. Ogawa (2) , O. Lame (3) , J.-Y. Cavaille (3)

1 RIKEN RNC - RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science [Wako]
2 Tohoku University [Sendai]
3 MATEIS - Matériaux, ingénierie et science [Villeurbanne]

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene or UHMWPE is an extremely difficult material to coat with, as it is rubbery and chemically very inert. The Cold Spray process appears to be a promising alternative processing technique but polymers are in general difficult to deposit using this method. So, attempts to develop UHMWPE coatings were made using a downstream injection cold spray technique incorporating a few modifications. A conventional cold spray machine yielded only a few deposited particles of UHMWPE on the substrate surface, but with some modifications in the nozzle geometry (especially the length and inner geometry) a thin coating of 45 μm on Al substrate was obtained. Moreover, experiments with the addition of fumed nano-alumina to the feedstock yielded a coating of 1-4 mm thickness on Al and polypropylene substrates. UHMWPE was seen to be melt crystallized during the coating formation, as can be seen from the differential calorimetry curves. Influence of nano-ceramic particles was explained by observing the creation of a bridge bond between UHMWPE particles. © 2015, ASM International.

Mots clés: Alumina; Aluminum; Aluminum coatings; Ceramic materials; Coatings; Molecular weight; Nonmetallic matrix composites; Polypropylenes; Spray nozzles; Substrates; Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylenes; Coating formation; Cold spray; Cold spray process; Cold spray techniques; Differential calorimetry; Difficult material; Nano ceramic particles; Processing technique; Polyethylenes

Domaines: Matériaux

K. Ravi, Y. Ichikawa, T. Deplancke, K. Ogawa, O. Lame, et al.. Development of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Coating by Cold Spray Technique. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, 2015, 24 (6), pp.1015-1025. ⟨10.1007/s11666-015-0276-5⟩. ⟨hal-01804751⟩