Leonhard HOLZGASSNER, Ján KONDÀS, Reeti SINGH, Markus BROTSACK
DOI Number: N/A
Conference number: HiSST-2025-193
Space propulsion applications require lightweight materials that can withstand high stresses at elevated temperatures. Niobium has a very low density compared to other refractory metals but high strength, i.e. a high strength-to-weight ratio. The material also shows high thermal conductivity and a low ductileto-brittle transition temperature. This low transition temperature is advantageous for space applications because it shows excellent resistance to high-frequency vibrations at cryogenic temperatures. Furthermore, C-103, a niobium, hafnium, and titanium alloys used for space propulsion applications, have a high melting point at around 2.350°C and show strong stability at elevated temperatures, too. Currently, many investigations around C-103 material for in-space propulsion systems for satellites are happening in the space industry. This work shows the feasibility of Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM) technology to produce a C-103 test part as a first step for future nozzle designs for different space applications. It is essential for the application to have as thin walls as possible to get down the take-off weight of the satellites. A tube of around 135 mm in length and 2 mm in wall thickness has been manufactured using CSAM. The manufacturing process will be presented in detail, in pictures. It has been proven that C-103 can be sprayed with high deposition efficiency using cold spray technology. Deposition efficiency of around 92% with a 4 kg/h deposition rate was observed. Both properties make cold spray cost-effective for manufacturing in-space propulsion nozzles with C-103
niobium alloy. Furthermore, microstructural and mechanical properties of cold-sprayed C-103 have also been investigated.