A more environmentally friendly and economical method for applying protective brass coatings to steel parts has been developed in Russia. The method was proposed by Skoltech scientists, who modified a key stage in the preparation of powders for cold spraying.
The essence of the development is that copper and zinc are mechanically processed in advance in a high-energy mill, where particles repeatedly collide and combine into a ready-made brass powder. Unlike the traditional approach, where the alloy is formed on the surface of the part, here the material is homogeneous before application.
Scientists note that the proposed approach improves the quality of the protective layer and simultaneously reduces the number of defects characteristic of traditional gas-dynamic spraying. Under standard conditions, powders often settle unevenly, forming separate clusters of copper or zinc instead of a continuous alloy, which degrades the coating properties.
This allows for a more uniform coating and reduces the need for complex and environmentally harmful processes such as electroplating. The technology also simplifies application equipment and makes the process more flexible for industrial use.