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.
Claims20
A method for processing a powder alloy, the method comprising:
- a. uniformly heating the powder alloy in an inert atmosphere at its solutionizing temperature, and
- b. cooling the heated powder alloy to form treated particles, wherein cooling is at a rate sufficient to reduce an intermetallic volume fraction of the treated particles by at least 50%, compared to the intermetallic volume fraction of the powder alloy.
A method for processing a powder alloy, the method comprising:
- a. uniformly heating the powder alloy in an inert atmosphere at its solutionizing temperature, and
- b. cooling the heated powder alloy at a rate of at least 5° C./s, wherein intermetallic precipitation of the treated powder is lower than the intermetallic precipitation of the powder alloy.
An apparatus comprising
- a furnace,
- a powder assembly vessel positioned in the furnace, wherein the powder assembly vessel comprises an inlet through which a gas or a powder enter into the powder assembly vessel,
- a rotary assembly connected to the powder assembly vessel which is capable of rotating the powder assembly vessel,
- a cooling system capable of cooling a powder in the powder assembly vessel at a rate of at least 5° C./s, and
- a device for depositing a heat treated particle obtained from the cooling system to a surface of a substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.