# US 2013/0157079 A1 · System for Repairing Cracks in Structures

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- Number: US 2013/0157079 A1
- Document ID: US20130157079A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/719,740
- Filed: 2012-12-19
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2009-08-04
- Assignees: U.S.A. as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Inventors: Stephen W. Smith; John A. Newman; Robert S. Piascik; Edward H. Glaessgen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157079A1

## CPC

- B23P 6/04: Repairing fractures or cracked metal parts or products, e.g. castings
- B23P 6/045: {of turbine components, e.g. moving or stationary blades, rotors, etc.}
- B32B 15/01: all layers being exclusively metallic {(making layered metal workpieces by pressure cladding B23K20/22; making coatings with a metallic material characterised by its composition C23C30/00)}
- C22C 14/00: Alloys based on titanium
- C22C 21/00: Alloys based on aluminium
- C23C 4/01: Selective coating, e.g. pattern coating, without pre-treatment of the material to be coated
- C23C 14/046: {Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates}
- C23C 14/16: on metallic substrates or on substrates of boron or silicon
- C23C 26/02: applying molten material to the substrate
- Y10T 29/49718: Repairing
- Y10T 29/49732: by attaching repair preform, e.g., remaking, restoring, or patching
- Y10T 29/49746: by applying fluent material, e.g., coating, casting
- Y10T 29/49764: with testing or indicating
- Y10T 29/49771: Quantitative measuring or gauging
- Y10T 29/49885: with coating before or during assembling
- Y10T 29/4998: Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material
- Y10T 29/49982: Coating
- Y10T 428/12451: Macroscopically anomalous interface between layers
- Y10T 428/12472: Microscopic interfacial wave or roughness
- Y10T 428/12493: Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
- Y10T 428/12681: Ga-, In-, Tl- or Group VA metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12708: Sn-base component
- Y10T 428/12736: Al-base component
- Y10T 428/12743: Next to refractory [Group IVB, VB, or VIB] metal-base component
- Y10T 428/12806: Refractory [Group IVB, VB, or VIB] metal-base component
- B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A first material with a known maximum temperature of operation is coated with a second material on at Least one surface of the first material. The coating has a melting temperature that is greater than the maximum temperature of operation of the first material. The coating is heated to its melting temperature until the coating flows into any cracks in the first material's surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A crack repairable system, comprising:
a metallic structure with a known maximum temperature of operation; and
a metallic coating on at least one surface of said metallic structure, said metallic coating having a melting temperature greater than said maximum temperature of operation wherein, when cracks are present in said at least one surface, said metallic coating is heated to said melting temperature thereof until said metallic coating flows into the cracks.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A system as in claim 1, wherein said at least one surface of said metallic structure is selected from the group consisting of titanium alloys and aluminum alloys.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A system as in claim 2, wherein said metallic coating comprises an alloy of indium and tin.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A system as in claim 1, wherein said metallic structure further has a known aging criteria temperature associated therewith, and wherein said melting temperature of said metallic coating is less than said aging criteria temperature.