New achievements in cold spraying of Al alloys for structural repair applications using nitrogen as propelling gas

Aluminum alloys, such as AA6061 and AA7050 are widely used in the aircraft industry. Therefore, cold spraying has high potential in the field of repairs of worn-out parts. However, many repair applications are limited to using expensive He as a propelling gas to achieve the desired mechanical properties and adhesion strength. The latest developed hardware solution and cold spray parameters were investigated in relation to the mechanical properties of the deposited Al alloys. Flat and round tensile specimens were extracted from the thick cold sprayed deposits to measure the tensile properties and adhesion strength. The results indicate significant improvements, e.g. in case of Al7050 adhesion strength >230 MPa, tensile strength >360 MPa and elongation >3.5%.