2. Cold Spray Applications

This chapter will present various cold spray applications developed by the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) associated with the repair of parts from aircraft and ships by providing actual examples and their relevance toward the advancement and implementation of cold spray technology. It is not an all-inclusive by any means, but it serves to illustrate that cold spray (CS) can be used across very diverse industry sectors. It is important to note that most cold spray applications today are for dimensional restoration of parts that have experienced wear and/or corrosion in service. Significant points of interest associated with the development of these CS applications will be highlighted. Emphasis will be placed on important aspects of process development and optimization, testing and evaluation, and qualification and specifications. The methodology and essential technical data for the transition of cold spray technology for these select applications will be discussed and illustrated by actual case studies. The substrate materials represented will include aluminum, magnesium, and titanium. The focus application will involve the restoration of magnesium aerospace components where much data will be presented, while the remaining case studies cannot be so inclusive due to page restrictions.