| Abstract Scope |
Cold spray is a promising technology for structural repair and additive restoration, particularly in field applications. However, deposits—especially in work-hardenable alloys like AA5056—often exhibit poor ductility, porosity, and reduced mechanical strength due to suboptimal deposition conditions. This study investigates Friction Stir Processing (FSP) as a post-treatment method to enhance the repair quality of AA5056 cold spray builds. A systematic parametric study was conducted to evaluate how variations in FSP parameters influence microstructure and mechanical performance. The results reveal that FSP significantly improves strength and cohesion, with up to a 44% increase in yield strength and a 21% improvement in ultimate tensile strength compared to the annealed condition. In several cases, the processed regions exceeded the performance of AA5056 in its H113 temper. Lower tool rotation speeds led to finer grain structures and more uniform bonding, while also reducing porosity and mitigating delamination—common issues in cold-sprayed materials. These enhancements demonstrate that FSP not only refines the microstructure but also restores and improves the functional integrity of the repair. The combined use of cold spray and FSP presents a reliable path forward for durable, high-performance repairs in operational environments where mechanical reliability and structural recovery are critical. This work supports the integration of solid-state processing and additive repair technologies to extend component life and reduce downtime across aerospace, defense, and industrial applications |