Formation of interfacial compounds and the effects on stripping behaviors of a cold-sprayed Zn–Al coating on interstitial-free steel

Abstract By means of cold spray, a Zn–Al coating was successfully deposited on an interstitial-free (IF) steel sheet. The formation of interfacial compounds between the coating and the IF steel was studied during diffusion annealing at 400 °C. And its correlations with the stripping behaviors of the coating were investigated by using a three-point bending method. The results showed that Fe–Zn and Fe–Al–Zn compounds begin to form at the coating/substrate interface after an annealing duration of 60 min, and the stripping resistance increases slightly before that duration and then decreases significantly by further increasing annealing duration. The enhanced stripping resistance at the earlier stage might be due to the modifications of microstructure and deformation compatibility of the sprayed coating, while the decreased stripping resistance at the later stage is related to the high stress concentration at the interface of the formed brittle Fe–Al–Zn phase and the Zn–Al coating.