Modelling of impingement phenomena for molten metallic droplets with low to high velocities

Thermal spray coatings are formed by accelerating a stream of powder particles towards a targeted substrate surface where they impact, deform, and adhere. A fundamental understanding of the splat formation can pave the way for future developments in thermal spray technology through better understanding. Numerical modelling is applied in this investigation which simulates the detailed transient flow of a molten metal droplet impacting, deforming, and solidifying on a flat, solid substrate. The computations are carried out on a fixed Eularian structured mesh using a volume of fluid method to simulate the boundary between the metallic and atmospheric-gas phases. The results shed light on the break-up phenomena on impact and describe in detail how the solidification process varies with an increasing impact velocity.