Qualitative evaluation of failure mechanisms of aluminium 6061-T6 cold spray repairs

Sudip Kundu; Konstantinos Stamoulis

doi:10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109581

Qualitative evaluation of failure mechanisms of aluminium 6061-T6 cold spray repairs

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

734 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Cold spray is an emerging technology that shows great promise for the repair of civil aircraft components. However, certification of such repairs requires a comprehensive evaluation of repair performance, including a detailed assessment of repair strength and the associated failure mechanisms. The present research compared the failure mechanisms of cold-spray repaired specimens manufactured from aluminium alloy 6061-T6, produced using either a high-pressure or a low-pressure cold spray system, in tensile tests. Depending on the manufacturing process used, different failure mechanisms were observed, including cohesive failure of the deposit and failure of the deposit-substrate interface. The study suggests that failure in cold spray repair is driven by competing mechanisms, with the dominant mode influenced by both the applied load and the processing parameters, as well as the characteristics of the deposited material.

Original language	English
Article number	109581
Number of pages	18
Journal	Engineering Failure Analysis
Volume	175
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109581
Publication status	Published - 15 Jun 2025

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by RVO Subsidy Scheme R&D Mobility Sector (RDM) under the BrightSky Project. We would also like to extend our thanks to KLM Engineering & Maintenance for their funding and provision of the specimens, which were generously supplied prior to the initiation of the BrightSky project. We sincerely thank John-Alan Pascoe, Stratos Koufis, Myron Beukelman and Mary Patrick from TU Delft for their valuable contributions and support during the early stages of this work, as well as for their insightful reviews.

Access to Document

10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109581Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S135063072500322X-mainFinal published version, 19.7 MBLicence: CC BY
1-s2.0-S1350630725005862-mainFinal published version, 241 KBLicence: CC BY

Handle.net

Persistent link

Cite this

@article{39dbae0a8b2b44d18626c6235efacd59,

title = "Qualitative evaluation of failure mechanisms of aluminium 6061-T6 cold spray repairs",

abstract = "Cold spray is an emerging technology that shows great promise for the repair of civil aircraft components. However, certification of such repairs requires a comprehensive evaluation of repair performance, including a detailed assessment of repair strength and the associated failure mechanisms. The present research compared the failure mechanisms of cold-spray repaired specimens manufactured from aluminium alloy 6061-T6, produced using either a high-pressure or a low-pressure cold spray system, in tensile tests. Depending on the manufacturing process used, different failure mechanisms were observed, including cohesive failure of the deposit and failure of the deposit-substrate interface. The study suggests that failure in cold spray repair is driven by competing mechanisms, with the dominant mode influenced by both the applied load and the processing parameters, as well as the characteristics of the deposited material.",

keywords = "Cold spray (CS), Digital image correlation, Fracture, Tensile test, Unconventional repair",

author = "Sudip Kundu and Konstantinos Stamoulis",

note = "This article is part of a special issue entitled: {\textquoteleft}ICEFAX{\textquoteright} published in Engineering Failure Analysis. Correction published in Engineering Failure Analysis Volume 179, 15 September 2025, 109845 (Correction added).",

year = "2025",

month = jun,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109581",

language = "English",

volume = "175",

journal = "Engineering Failure Analysis",

issn = "1350-6307",

publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Qualitative evaluation of failure mechanisms of aluminium 6061-T6 cold spray repairs

AU - Kundu, Sudip

AU - Stamoulis, Konstantinos

N1 - This article is part of a special issue entitled: ‘ICEFAX’ published in Engineering Failure Analysis. Correction published in Engineering Failure Analysis Volume 179, 15 September 2025, 109845 (Correction added).

PY - 2025/6/15

Y1 - 2025/6/15

N2 - Cold spray is an emerging technology that shows great promise for the repair of civil aircraft components. However, certification of such repairs requires a comprehensive evaluation of repair performance, including a detailed assessment of repair strength and the associated failure mechanisms. The present research compared the failure mechanisms of cold-spray repaired specimens manufactured from aluminium alloy 6061-T6, produced using either a high-pressure or a low-pressure cold spray system, in tensile tests. Depending on the manufacturing process used, different failure mechanisms were observed, including cohesive failure of the deposit and failure of the deposit-substrate interface. The study suggests that failure in cold spray repair is driven by competing mechanisms, with the dominant mode influenced by both the applied load and the processing parameters, as well as the characteristics of the deposited material.

AB - Cold spray is an emerging technology that shows great promise for the repair of civil aircraft components. However, certification of such repairs requires a comprehensive evaluation of repair performance, including a detailed assessment of repair strength and the associated failure mechanisms. The present research compared the failure mechanisms of cold-spray repaired specimens manufactured from aluminium alloy 6061-T6, produced using either a high-pressure or a low-pressure cold spray system, in tensile tests. Depending on the manufacturing process used, different failure mechanisms were observed, including cohesive failure of the deposit and failure of the deposit-substrate interface. The study suggests that failure in cold spray repair is driven by competing mechanisms, with the dominant mode influenced by both the applied load and the processing parameters, as well as the characteristics of the deposited material.

KW - Cold spray (CS)

KW - Digital image correlation

KW - Fracture

KW - Tensile test

KW - Unconventional repair

UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109845

U2 - 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109581

DO - 10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109581

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105002138083

SN - 1350-6307

VL - 175

JO - Engineering Failure Analysis

JF - Engineering Failure Analysis

M1 - 109581

ER -

Qualitative evaluation of failure mechanisms of aluminium 6061-T6 cold spray repairs

Abstract

Funding

Access to Document

Handle.net

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Corrigendum to “Qualitative evaluation of failure mechanisms of aluminium 6061-T6 cold spray repairs” [Eng. Fail. Anal. 175 (2025) 109581]

Cite this