Flux sheet for laser processing of metal components

Abstract

A flux sheet (20A) and method of using the flux sheet to restore a surface (24) of a metal substrate (26). A laser beam (32) is directed onto the flux sheet to melt it and the surface, then allowed to cool and solidify to produce a restored surface. The flux sheet may be formulated to optically transmit at least 40% of electromagnetic energy from a laser onto the substrate surface. The flux sheet contains a flux composition that may include: a metal oxide, a metal silicate, or both; a metal fluoride; and a metal carbonate. The flux composition may limit the content of certain elements and compounds such as Fe, Li2O, Na2O and K2O. The flux composition may include constituents providing air shielding, contaminant scavenging, viscosity/fluidity enhancement, and optical transmission of laser energy through the flux sheet.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.