Restoration of Damaged Aircraft Skin by Cold Spray Technique: The Advantages and the Challenges

The recent development of cold spray technology has made possible the deposition of low porosity and oxide-free coatings with good adhesion and with almost no microstructure change of the coated parts. This work focuses on the performance of low pressure cold spray (LPCS) in repairing damaged Al-based thin aircraft skin. The coating quality is investigated through the evaluation of microstructure, microhardness, adhesion strength, surface finish and corrosion resistance of the coatings.