Cold sprayed electrical circuits and methods thereof

A structural component, comprising:

• a polymeric composite material having at least one surface;
• a thermoplastic electrochemical insulating layer on the at least one surface;
• an electrical circuit comprising an electrically conductive cold sprayed metal coating present on at least a portion of a surface of the electrochemical insulating layer;
• and
• at least one additional layer, the at least one additional layer encapsulating at least a portion of the electrically conductive cold sprayed metal coating between the at least one additional layer and the electrochemical insulating layer and wherein the at least one additional layer directly contacts a top surface of the electrochemical insulating layer in some portions, the at least one additional layer comprising a polymeric composite comprising an unfilled, nonconductive poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK), a poly-ether-ketone-ketone (PEKK), a polyetherimide (PEI), or a combination thereof, wherein:
• the electrically conductive cold sprayed metal coating comprises one or more non-continuous segments, wherein the one or more non-continuous segments are not in lateral contact with one another;
• and
• no portion of the electrical circuit is exposed to an exterior part of the structural component;
• and
• wherein the electrically conductive cold sprayed metal coating is dense and free of microvoids.

A method of providing an electrical connection within a multilayered composite article, the method comprising:

• introducing particles of a metal powder or metal alloy powder or a mixture of the metal powder and the metal alloy powder to a gas stream;
• directing the gas stream toward a thermoplastic electrochemical insulating layer present on a surface of a polymeric material, wherein the gas stream has a temperature and pressure adjusted to prevent thermal softening or ablation of the surface of the thermoplastic electrochemical insulating layer;
• forming an electrically conductive cold sprayed metal coating on at least a portion of the thermoplastic electrochemical insulating layer;
• providing an electrical connection within the multilayered composite article via the electrically conductive cold sprayed metal coating;
• and
• forming at least one additional layer the at least one additional layer sandwiching at least a portion of the electrically conductive cold sprayed metal coating between the at least one additional layer and the thermoplastic electrochemical insulating layer and wherein the at least one additional layer directly contacts a top surface of the thermoplastic electrochemical insulating layer in some portions, the at least one additional layer comprising an unfilled, nonconductive polymeric composite comprising a poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK), a poly-ether-ketone-ketone (PEKK), a polyetherimide (PEI), or a combination thereof;
• and
• wherein no portion of the electrical connection is exposed to an exterior part of the multilayered composite article;
• and
• wherein the electrically conductive cold sprayed metal coating is dense and free of microvoids.