Contact assembly for electrical devices and method for making

A method for a cold spray deposition apparatus, the method comprising:

• axially feeding a powder feedstock into a gas stream of the cold spray deposition apparatus, wherein the powder feedstock comprises a mixture of two separate powders comprising (i) a first powder comprising a refractory material and (ii) a second powder comprising a matrix material, the matrix material having a higher ductility than the refractory material;
• directing the gas stream and entrained powder feedstock through a nozzle of the cold spray deposition apparatus onto a substrate;
• and
• depositing the entrained powder feedstock on the substrate in a continuous layer, such that a temperature of at least a portion of particles of the powder feedstock is less than a melting point of the particles,
• wherein the continuous layer comprises a core region and an outer region bounding the core region, the core region having a first concentration of the refractory material, and the outer region having a second concentration of the refractory material, wherein the first concentration is higher than the second concentration.