Method and apparatus for heat treating feedstock powder
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama
InventorsLuke N. Brewer, William A. Story
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Abstract
Disclosed are methods and apparatuses for processing a powder alloy to improve its microstructure. The methods for processing the powder alloy can include introducing the powder alloy into a powder vessel having an inert atmosphere, uniformly heat treating the powder alloy inside the powder vessel at its solutionizing temperature, and cooling the heat treated powder alloy at a rate of at least 5° C./s to form treated particles. The treated particles obtained from the methods and apparatuses disclosed herein can be used in any suitable manufacturing process, such as in cold gas dynamic spray.
Claims12
A method for processing a powder alloy, the method comprising:
- a. uniformly heating the powder alloy by mechanically rotating the powder alloy in an inert atmosphere at its solutionizing temperature,
- b. holding the heated powder alloy at the solutionizing temperature for at least 5 minutes to allow complete dissolution of intermetallic fractions present in the powder alloy while simultaneously continuing to mechanically rotate the heated powder alloy, and
- c. cooling the heated powder alloy at a rate of at least 25° C./s to form treated particles,
- wherein the powder alloy comprises greater than 50% by weight of aluminum, titanium, cobalt, magnesium, iron, nickel, copper, or a combination thereof and wherein an intermetallic volume fraction of the treated particles is reduced by at least 80%, compared to the intermetallic volume fraction of the powder alloy prior to heat treatment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.