Method of resistance welding a porous body to a substrate

Abstract

A method for resistance welding a metallic porous body, comprised of a plurality of metallic components arranged in a three dimensional matrix so as to have interconnecting pores or voids formed between said components, to a metallic substrate. The porous body and substrate each define a faying surface. The porous body is impregnated with an electrically conductive material to a predetermined distance from its faying surface, thereby defining an impregnated zone and an unimpregnated zone. The faying surfaces of the substrate and porous body are brought into physical contact so that the unimpregnated zone is disposed between the impregnated zone and faying surface of the porous body. An electrical current is passed through the porous body and the substrate, across the faying surfaces thereby forming a metallurgical bond between the faying surfaces. In the preferred embodiment of the invention: the porous body and substrate are forcibly pressed together, during the step of passing said electrical current; the umimpregnated zone is densified; and a forge weld is formed between the components of the porous body at the faying surface of the porous body and the faying surface of the substate. The electrically conductive impregnating material is preferably a metal or alloy and works to increase the electrical conductance of the impregnated zone and to preserve the porosity of the porous body in the impregnated zone.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.