Powdered metal consolidation method
AssigneeThe International Nickel Company, Inc.
InventorPierre Paul Turillon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for compressing and sintering metal powder into solid form for use as metal coatings and structures. Metal powder is enclosed in a pressure-resistant container in contact with a metal bladder. The bladder contains a heat-decomposable substance which upon heating provides gaseous pressure to expand the bladder and compress and sinter the metal powder. The compressed and sintered metal powder can be used as a metal coating upon a metal surface or as a solid metal article by removal of the surface on which the metal powder was formed.
Claims11
A process for compressing and sintering metal powder into a solidified structure comprising:
- enclosing a body of metal powder within a pressure-resistant container;
- providing adjacent to said metal powder and within said pressure-resistant container, a superplastic metal bladder containing a heat-decomposable compound adapted upon decomposition to release a gas within said metal bladder to expand said metal bladder and apply pressure to said metal powder;
- heating said pressure-resistant container above the decomposition temperature of said heat-decomposable compound and in the sintering temperature region for said metal powder thereby providing internally generated pressure to expand said metal bladder and compress and sinter together said metal powder to provide said solidified structure characterized by density at least 60% of theoretical density.
A process for coating a metal surface with a metal coating which comprises:
- providing adjacent to said metal surface to be coated a body of metal powder having a composition to provide said metal coating;
- providing a superplastic metal bladder containing a heat-decomposable compound, adapted upon decomposition to release a gas, therein in contact with said body of metal powder;
- surrounding said metal powder, said metal surface to be coated and said metal bladder with a pressure-resistant container;
- and heating a resulting assembly to a temperature above the decomposition temperature of said heat-decomposable compound and in the sintering temperature region for said metal powder thereby providing internally generated pressure to expand said metal bladder and compress and sinter said metal powder against said metal surface to provide said metal coating characterized by density at least 60% of theoretical density.
A process for hot isostatic pressing wherein the improvement comprises:
- providing a superplastic alloy bladder containing a heat-decomposable compound therein;
- providing adjacent to said superplastic alloy bladder, a body of metal powder in contact with said superplastic alloy bladder;
- providing adjacent to said body of metal powder in contact with said superplastic alloy bladder a molding surface conforming to the shape of said solid metal article;
- surrounding said superplastic alloy bladder, said body of metal powder and said molding surface with a pressure-resistant container;
- and heating a resulting assembly into a temperature region within which the metal of said superplastic alloy bladder exhibits superplastic behavior to decompose said heat-decomposable compound thereby providing an internally generated pressurized gas within said superplastic alloy bladder to expand said superplastic alloy bladder and compress and sinter said body of metal powder against said molding surface to form a sintered metal characterized by density at least 60% of theoretical density.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.