The potential of the cold spray process for the repair and manufacture of aluminium alloy parts

Being capable of producing deposits up to several centimetres thick, the cold spray process is emerging as an attractive technology for the manufacture and repair of high value aluminium and magnesium components. During the cold spray process fine aluminium or aluminium alloy powders are propelled at high velocities in the solid state at the target substrate. Due to the high velocity particle impacts, strong bonds are formed between the coating and the substrate and between particles within the deposited layer. Metallographic sections of cold sprayed coatings reveal microstructures characterised by very low porosity. With the objective of improving the abrasive wear and erosion resistance of cold sprayed coatings, ceramic reinforcements such as SiC, B4C and Al2O3 have been introduced in the feedstock to produce composite coatings, and these composite materials have been deposited with thicknesses in excess of 25mm. Several applications employing commercially available equipment have achieved industrialisation.