Multi-component deposits

Abstract

The disclosure describes an example technique that includes cold spraying first particles and second particles of a metal alloy on at least a portion of a surface of a substrate to form a deposit on the surface of the substrate. The first and second particles have been subjected to different heat treatments prior to cold spraying. Cold spraying involves accelerating the first particles and the second particles toward the surface of the substrate without melting or creating other thermally induced changes to a microstructure of the first and second particles. As a result, the first particles form a first, heat-treated component and the second particles form a second non-heat-treated or differently-heat-treated component, and the particles and substrate are not subject to a heat treatment during the cold spray process that may further modify their thermomechanical properties.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 cold spraying first particles and second particles of a metal alloy on at least a portion of a surface of a substrate to form a deposit on the surface of the substrate,   wherein the first particles form a first component of the deposit and the second particles form a second component of the deposit,   wherein cold spraying comprises accelerating the first particles and the second particles toward the surface of the substrate without creating thermally induced changes to a microstructure of the respective first and second particles, and   wherein the first and second particles have been subjected to different heat treatments prior to cold spraying.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first particles comprise at least one of precipitation hardened particles, quenched hardened particles, or tempered particles. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a volume percentage of the first component in the deposit is between about 1% and about 99%. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy comprises at least one of a Mg-based alloy, a Ni-based alloy, a Ti-based alloy, a Fe-based alloy, an Al-based alloy, a Co-based alloy, a Ta-based alloy, a Nb-based alloy, a Zn-based alloy, a Cr-based alloy, or a Cu-based alloy. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises a cracked surface, and wherein forming the deposit further comprises filling the cracked surface with the deposit. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a tensile strength of the first particles is at least about twice as high as a tensile strength of the second particles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an elongation of the first particles is at least about 50% greater than an elongation of the second particles. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy comprises a first composition, and wherein the method further comprises forming the substrate from a second composition, different from the first composition. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second particles and the substrate are not subject to a heat treatment during the cold spraying that would further modify thermomechanical properties of the first and second particles and the substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second composition comprises the metal alloy that has not been subjected to a heat treatment prior to cold spraying. 
     
     
         11 . An article comprising:
 a substrate defining a surface; and   a deposit on the surface of the substrate, wherein the deposit was formed using cold spraying,   wherein the deposit comprises a first component and a second component,   wherein cold spraying comprises accelerating first particles and second particles of a metal alloy toward the surface of the substrate without creating thermally induced changes to a microstructure of the respective first and second particles, and   wherein the first and second particles have been subjected to different heat treatments prior to cold spraying.   
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the first particles comprise at least one of precipitation hardened particles, quenched hardened particles, or tempered particles. 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein a volume percentage of the first component in the deposit is between about 1% and about 99%. 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the metal alloy comprises at least one of Mg-based alloys, Ni-based alloys, Ti-based alloys, Fe-based alloys, Al-based alloys, Co-based alloys, Ta-based alloys, Nb-based alloys, Zn-based alloys, Cr-based alloys, and Cu-based alloys. 
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the surface comprises a cracked surface, and wherein the deposit fills at least a portion of the cracked surface. 
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein a tensile strength of the first particles is at least about twice as high as a tensile strength of the second particles. 
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein an elongation of the first particles is at least about 50% greater than an elongation of the second particles. 
     
     
         18 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the metal alloy comprises a first composition, and wherein the substrate comprises a second composition, different from the first composition. 
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second particles and the substrate are not subject to a heat treatment during the cold spraying that would further modify thermomechanical properties of the first and second particles and the substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The article of  claim 11 , wherein the second particles comprise the metal alloy that has not been subjected to a heat treatment prior to cold spraying.