Use of powder metal sintering/diffusion bonding to enable applying silicon carbide or rhenium alloys to face seal rotors

A method for manufacturing improved face seal rotors, the steps comprising:

• providing a steel rotor substrate;
• providing powdered silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic;
• providing powdered rhenium metal;
• mixing the powdered silicon carbide (SiC) with the powdered rhenium metal to provide a mixture;
• placing the mixture on the steel rotor substrate;
• heating the mixture to a sintering temperature;
• and
• applying a load to the mixture while the mixture has an elevated temperature.

A face rotor seal, comprising

• a steel rotor substrate;
• and
• a composite coating coupled to a face of the rotor substrate, the composite coating being a mixture of silicon carbide and rhenium-base material;
• whereby
• a longer-lasting and more useful rotor face seal is achieved.

A face rotor seal, comprising:

• a rotor substrate including steel;
• and
• a sintered composite coating coupled to a face of the rotor substrate, the composite coating providing high hot hardness and high hot wear resistance with less brittleness, the composite coating being a mixture of ceramic and refractory materials including silicon carbide and rhenium-based material, respectively;
• whereby
• a longer-lasting and more useful rotor face seal is achieved;

A method for manufacturing improved face seal rotors, the steps comprising:

• providing a rotor substrate;
• providing a refractory sealing ring;
• and
• bonding the sealing ring to the rotor substrate.