Wear resistance of cold sprayed Al alloys for aeronautical repairs

Abstract

Al–Cu alloys, like Al 2024, and Al–Si alloys, like Al F357 and Al C355, are used in aeronautic gearboxes and fuselage parts operating in severe conditions. It is necessary to develop maintenance and overhaul technologies to extend the life of metallic components used in the aeronautical sector. Cold Spray (CS) could be an alternative as it is real solid-state processing technique. However, the repaired component should exhibit similar properties as the original substrate. This paper evaluates the wear performance of Al coatings CS onto the same Al substrates in sliding and oscillating conditions. The results were compared with the corresponding substrates. The wear rate of coatings processed using new conditions, developed to enhance the coatings performance, was similar or smaller than that measured in the substrate bulk alloys. For Al 2024 and Al C355 CS could be used for repairing, from the tribological point of view.