Annealing behaviour of 6061 aluminium deposited by high pressure cold spray

Aluminium 6061 deposited by high pressure cold spray was analysed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) to characterise its microstructure and response to annealing to 450 degrees C in the plane of the deposition and perpendicular to the deposited layers. The cold sprayed deposition was also analysed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Segregation of the solute atoms (Mg and Si) at the grain boundaries during cold spraying was seen to play a crucial role in stabilising the deformation substructure until specific temperatures, and was found to have a significant effect on the annealing behaviour of the microstructure in the two different directions.