Properties of coatings produced by warm spray were investigated in order to utilize this technique as a repair method for Al tire molds. Al-(0-10 %)Al2O3 composite powder was sprayed on Al substrate by warm spraying, and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the composite coating layer were investigated. For comparative study, the properties of the coating produced by plasma spray, which is a relatively high-temperature spraying process, were also investigated. The composite coating layers produced by the two spray techniques exhibited significantly different morphology, perhaps due to their different process temperatures and velocities of particles. Whereas the Al2O3 particles in the warm sprayed coating layer maintained their initial shape before the spray, flattened and irregular shape Al2O3 particles were distributed in the plasma sprayed coating layer. The coating layer produced by warm spray showed significantly higher adhesive strength compared to that produced by plasma spray. Hardness was also higher in the warm sprayed coating layer compared to the plasma sprayed one. Moreover, with increasing the fraction of Al2O3, hardness gradually increased in both spray coating processes. In conclusion, an Al-Al2O3 composite coating layer with good mechanical properties was successfully produced by warm spray.

This study manufactured a CIG-based composite coating layer utilizing a new warm spray process, and amixed powder of Cu-20at.%Ga and Cu-20at.%In. In order to obtain the mixed powder with desired composition, theCu-20at.%Ga and Cu-20at.%In powders were mixed with a 7:1 ratio. The mixed powder had an average particle size of35.4 µm. Through the utilization of a warm spray process, a CIG-based composite coating layer of 180 µm thicknesscould be manufactured on a pure Al matrix. To analyze the microstructure and phase, the warm sprayed coating layerunderwent XRD, SEM/EDS and EMPA analyses. In addition, to improve the physical properties of the coating layer, anannealing heat treatment was conducted at temperatures of 200℃, 400℃ and 600℃ for 1 hour each. The microstructureanalysis identified α-Cu, Cu4In and Cu3Ga phases in the early mixed powder, while Cu4In disappeared, and additionalCu9In4 and Cu9Ga4 phases were identified in the warm sprayed coating layer. Porosity after annealing heat treatmentreduced from 0.75% (warm sprayed coating layer) to 0.6% (after 600℃/1 hr. heat treatment), and hardness reducedfrom 288 Hv to 190 Hv. No significant phase changes were found after annealing heat treatment.