Laser microcladding using powdered flux and metal
AssigneeSiemens Energy, Inc.
InventorsGerald J. Bruck, Ahmed Kamel, Michael Ott
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser microcladding process utilizing powdered flux material (93b). A jet (92) of propellant gas containing powdered alloy material (93a) and the powdered flux material are directed toward a substrate (94). The powdered materials are melted by a laser beam (96) to form a weld pool (98) which separates into a layer of slag (100) covering a layer of clad alloy material (102). The flux material deoxidizes the weld pool and protects the layer of clad alloy material as it cools, thereby allowing the propellant gas to be nitrogen or air rather than an inert gas. In one embodiment, the substrate and alloy materials are superalloys with compositions beyond the traditional zone of weldability.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- selecting an alloy feed material and a flux material for cladding a substrate, wherein the alloy feed material and the substrate each comprise a superalloy composition beyond a zone of weldability defined on a graph of superalloys plotting titanium content verses aluminum content, wherein the zone of weldability is upper bounded by a line intersecting the titanium content axis at 6 wt. % and intersecting the aluminum content axis at 3 wt. %;
- disposing the alloy feed material and the flux material on the substrate;
- melting the alloy feed material and the flux material with an energy beam or an arc to form a weld pool on the substrate;
- and
- allowing the weld pool to solidify and cool on the substrate as a layer of superalloy cladding covered by a layer of slag.
A method comprising:
- selecting a powdered alloy material to comprise a composition beyond a zone of weldability defined on a graph of superalloys plotting titanium content verses aluminum content, wherein the zone of weldability is upper bounded by a line intersecting the titanium content axis at 6 wt. % and intersecting the aluminum content axis at 3 wt. %;
- using a propellant gas to direct the powdered alloy material and a powdered flux material toward a substrate;
- melting the powdered alloy material and powdered flux material and an upper layer of the substrate with a laser beam to form a weld pool on the substrate;
- allowing the weld pool to solidify and cool on the substrate as a layer of clad superalloy material covered by a layer of slag;
- and
- removing the layer of slag.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.