Numerical Study of the Effect of Particle Shape on its in Flight and Impact Behavior During the Thermal Spraying

Abstract

In the thermal spraying process studied, a molten aluminum particle is projected at high speed and flattens upon impact with a substrate. This phenomenon is modeled and simulated thermomechanical using the explicit software Abaqus. In this approach, the thermomechanical properties of the particle and substrate are considered temperature-dependent, and the study incorporates the three modes of heat transfer, accounting for a variable thermal contact conductance. First, the proposed model is compared with experimental data and numerical results reported in the literature. During the impact, the temporal evolution of the temperature of both the substrate and the droplet is analyzed. Additionally, the thickness of the solidified region of the molten droplet upon contact with the substrate is evaluated as a function of the substrate material, the initial droplet velocity, and the initial temperature of the substrate. Furthermore, the proposed model, which accounts for the thermal and mechanical interactions between the particle and the substrate, has proven to be valuable in deepening the understanding of the lamella formation mechanism and thermal transfer phenomena during the thermal spraying process