The Green Trend in Corrosion Protection: How Cold Spray Zinc Contributes to Sustainable Industry Development

Cold spray zinc technology, as an advanced solid-state deposition process, is gaining widespread application in the fields of anti-corrosion, repair, and additive manufacturing due to its efficiency, environmental friendliness, and excellent coating performance. Its core principle lies in accelerating zinc particles to supersonic speeds at low temperatures, causing them to bond firmly to the substrate through plastic deformation. The key to a successful process lies in the precise control of the following steps.

Step 1: Surface Pre-treatment – The Foundation of the Coating

The quality of surface preparation directly determines the coating's bond strength and durability. Operations must be carried out sequentially:

1. Mechanical Cleaning:Use grit blasting or grinding to remove rust, old coatings, and contaminants, achieving a cleanliness level of Sa 2.5 while creating the necessary surface roughness (typically Ra 6.5-12.5 μm) to enhance mechanical interlocking.

2. Chemical Cleaning:Employ solvents or alkaline cleaners to thoroughly remove oils and residual impurities.

3. Immediate Spraying:The prepared surface must be sprayed within 4-8 hours to prevent re-oxidation.

Step 2: Spray Parameter Optimization – The Core of the Process

Precise control of the following parameters is critical for success:

Gas Selection and Preheating: Nitrogen or helium is commonly used as the propellant gas, preheated to 300-600°C to improve particle plasticity.

Particle Characteristics: Use spherical zinc powder with a particle size of 15-45 μm, ensuring high purity and good flowability.

Key Parameters:Gas pressure (1.5-3.5 MPa), spray distance (20-40 mm), and traverse speed must be adjusted according to the equipment and substrate to ensure particle velocities reach 500-1200 m/s.

Step 3: Post-treatment and Curing – Ensuring Performance

Post-treatment is crucial for the final coating properties after deposition:

Densification:Reduce porosity and increase density through mechanical peening or laser remelting.

Sealing:For applications requiring high corrosion resistance, use specialized sealants to penetrate the coating's micro-pores.

Curing and Inspection:Allow the coating to cure naturally at room temperature for 24 hours or use low-temperature heating to accelerate curing. Subsequently, perform thickness measurement, adhesion testing (typically requiring ≥15 MPa), and porosity analysis.

Product application scenarios

 

 

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By scientifically executing the above steps, a zinc coating with high bond strength, low porosity (potentially <1%), and excellent anti-corrosion performance can be achieved. This technology is particularly suitable for the long-term protection of heat-sensitive components. Through systematic process control, it can reliably achieve a service life exceeding 20 years, providing reliable protection for critical infrastructure such as steel structures and marine equipment. In the future, with the development of equipment intelligence and material diversification, the application boundaries of cold spray zinc will further expand.