Influence of laser treatment on the interface properties of coatings obtained by cold gas dynamic deposition

The surface preparation of the substrate is a critical key in the production of high performance coatings, especially when cold spray processes are adopted. Many surface treatments, based on chemical or mechanical modifications, have been developed in order to improve the coating adhesion. Although widely used, these techniques present several disadvantages. Laser treatment; represents a promising alternative to the aforementioned methods. By way of laser treatment, it is possible to clean the surface, modify the substrate roughness or create special texture able to improve the substrate-coating interface. Aim of the paper is to study the influence of different superficial laser treatment on the interface properties of cold sprayed coating. Al-Si coating were produced by cold gas dynamic techniques on laser treated AA 2024 sheets, adopting a 30W Q-switched Yb:YAG fibre laser. Different roughness values and texture geometry were produced on the substrate by varying laser pulse power, scan speed and scanning strategy (i.e the pattern adopted in the scansion). The results obtained show that the laser treatment is able to produce an increase in the adhesion between the coating and the substrate.