Rapid, Localized, In-Situ Heat Treatment of Cold Spray for Improved Mechanical Properties

As cold spray moves into additive manufacturing and repair of structural parts, relying on as-sprayed mechanical properties becomes more and more challenging. While one of the main benefits of cold spray is that the deposit maintains the chemical composition of the powder, it may not have the mechanical properties required for the application. The solution to this is to heat treat the component after spraying, which has been shown to improve interparticle bonding, recover ductility, improve adhesion, and obtain the desired microstructural phases. However, traditional furnace heat treatments pose a problem for large components and repairs of existing parts, as putting the entire component into the furnace may not be practical or even possible for multi-material repairs. In addition, traditional heat treatments designed for bulk materials may not be ideally suited for materials consolidated through the cold spray process. This work shows advancements in rapid, localized, in-situ heat treatments specifically tailored for cold sprayed deposits. It demonstrates the feasibility of these heat treatments to improve mechanical properties with minimal heat input outside of the cold sprayed material.