High chromium content welding material to improve resistance of corrosion method and device

A method of preparing a steam turbine rotor for optimizing a life extending property of a steeple region of said rotor, comprising:

• (a) providing a low alloy ferrous ring member having less than about six weight percent alloying ingredients including chromium;
• and
• (b) building a martensitic weld region adjacent to the ring member, to create a steeple region, by depositing weld metal in a plurality of weld passes, the weld metal having a single chromium content between about 9% and 17% chromium, the weld region increasing overall in chromium content from a portion of the weld region adjacent to the ring member to a portion of the weld region farthest from the ring member.

A method of preparing a turbine component for optimizing a property of a region of said component, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a ferrous member of said turbine component comprising a first percentage of an alloying metal;
• and
• building a weld region adjacent to said ferrous member by depositing a single weld metal in a plurality of weld passes, said weld metal comprising a second percentage of said alloying metal, said second percentage being greater than said first percentage, said weld region increasing in percentage content of said alloying metal from a first portion of said weld region adjacent to said member to a second portion of said weld region farthest from said member.