Electrospray forming
Since late 1980s, fine droplets were used for spray forming, although first experiments with thermal spray to produce solid bodies were carried out in 1924 by Turner and Ballard [cf. 226]. In the spray forming, a molten metal is atomised into spray of droplets, which are deposited onto a substrate to form a condensed product. Spray forming is a means for direct layer-bylayer production of bulk materials or thick coatings at an industrial scale. During this process, the solid powders, semi-solid and fully liquid droplets impacting a surface mix in the way, which is similar to the liquid phase sintering [227].