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Cold spray technology for aircraft component repairs.

A project involving the U.S. Army Research Laboratory’s (ARL’s) cold spray technology was named one of six environment technology Projects of the Year, recognized for research and technology developments with significant benefits to the Department of Defense (DoD).
The Supersonic Particle Deposition for Repair of Magnesium Aircraft Components project, led by Victor K. Champagne, Jr., of ARL’s Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (WMRD), was named the 2012 Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) Project of the Year.
ESTCP is DoD’s environmental technology demonstration and validation program. The program’s goal is to identify and demonstrate cost-effective technologies that address DoD’s highest priority environmental requirements.

The project team developed a cold spray process that involves accelerating aluminum alloy particles to high velocities, and impacting them on the surface of the magnesium alloy components.

In their project, the cold spray process was demonstrated and validated to be a cost-effective, environmentally acceptable technology that could provide surface protection, as well as a method for restoring magnesium components that have been removed from service.