Method to join dissimilar materials by the cold spray process

A process for joining dissimilar materials comprising:

• providing a first component made from a first material and a second component made from a second material, the first material and the second material being dissimilar materials;
• wherein the first material is magnesium or a magnesium alloy and the second material is aluminum or an aluminum alloy;
• degassing the particles of the second material under high vacuum conditions of from 10−4 to 10−6 torr and heating the particles of the second material between 260 and 400° C.;
• annealing particles of the second material in a reducing atmosphere prior to cold spraying the particles;
• cold spraying the annealed particles of the second material to form a bead of the second material onto the first component wherein the bead has an adhesion strength to the first component and/or the second component that is greater than an ultimate tensile strength of the first component and/or the second component individually or in combination;
• and
• joining the second component to the bead on the first component and forming a weldment of the first component and the second component at a temperature below the melting temperatures of both the first material and the second material.