High strength aerospace components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752999-B2
Application number	US-201715458489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2017
Priority date	Apr 18, 2016
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

An article that includes a structured substrate having a macro-porous structure that defines a plurality of pores, and a metallic nano-crystalline coating on at least a portion of the structured substrate, where the metallic nano-crystalline coating defines an average grain size less than about 20 nanometers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article comprising:
a structured substrate having a macro-porous structure that defines a plurality of pores; and
a metallic nano-crystalline coating on at least a portion of the structured substrate, wherein the metallic nano-crystalline coating defines an average grain size less than about 20 nanometers, wherein the metallic nano-crystalline coating comprises an overall thickness measured normal to an exterior surface of the structured substrate, and wherein the overall thickness is selectively varied on different regions of the structured substrate.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the article comprises an aerospace component comprising at least one of a compressor vane, a turbine blade, a rotor, a disc, a housing element, a bracket, a chevron ventilation outlet, a vane box plume tab, a variable vane actuator arm, a nose cone, an airfoil, a flap, an accessory gear, or an air-flow surface.

3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the structured substrate comprises a metal-based foam, a lattice structure, or a truss structure.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the structured substrate comprises one or more metals selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, nickel, or cobalt.

5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the structured substrate comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polyamide (PA), a polyimide (PI), a bis-maleimide (BMI), an epoxy, a phenolic polymer, a polyester, a polyurethane, or a silicone rubber.

6. The article of claim 1 , further comprising a polymeric material, wherein the polymeric material at least partially fills the plurality of pores.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the metallic nano-crystalline coating comprises:
a first layer comprising nano-crystalline cobalt defining a first thickness; and
a second layer comprising nano-crystalline nickel defining a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness.

8. An article comprising:
a structured substrate comprising a metal-based foam or a lattice structure, wherein the structured substrate comprises at least one of:
a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, nickel, or cobalt, or
a polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polyamide (PA), a polyimide (PI), a bis-maleimide (BMI), an epoxy, a phenolic polymer, a polyester, a polyurethane, or a silicone rubber; and

a metallic nano-crystalline coating on at least a portion of the structured substrate, wherein the metallic nano-crystalline coating defines an average grain size less than about 20 nanometers, and wherein the metallic nano-crystalline coating includes one or more layers comprising a nano-crystalline metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, copper, iron, cobalt-based alloy, nickel-based alloy, copper-based alloy, or iron-based alloy.

9. The article of claim 8 , wherein the structured substrate comprises the metal-based foam comprising a plurality of pores, the article further comprising a polymeric material deposited on the metal-based foam, wherein the polymeric material at least partially fills the plurality of pores.

10. The article of claim 9 , wherein the polymeric material forms a layer on the metal-based foam between the metallic nano-crystalline coating and the metal-based foam.

11. The article of claim 8 , wherein the structured substrate comprises the lattice structure, the article further comprising a metallic nano-crystalline layer deposited on an interior portion of the lattice structure.

12. The article of claim 11 , the article further comprising a polymeric material deposited in an interior portion of the lattice structure.

13. The article of claim 8 , wherein the metallic nano-crystalline coating comprises:
a first metallic nano-crystalline layer defining a first thickness; and
a second metallic nano-crystalline layer defining a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is different than the second thickness.

14. A method for forming an aerospace component comprising:
forming a structured substrate having a macro-porous structure that defines a plurality of pores;
depositing a polymeric material on the structured substrate, wherein the polymeric material at least partially fills the plurality of pores; and
depositing a metallic nano-crystalline coating on at least one of at least a portion of the structured substrate or at least a portion the polymeric material, wherein the metallic nano-crystalline coating defines an average grain size less than about 20 nanometers.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming a structured substrate comprises: combining a molten metal or a molten metal alloy and a foaming agent to form a metal-based foam.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming a structured substrate comprises:
forming a lattice structure, and
depositing a metallic nano-crystalline layer on an interior portion of the lattice structure.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising selectively varying a thickness of the metallic nano-crystalline coating as measured normal to an exterior surface of the structured substrate.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Rice Edward Claude
• Layman Maxwell
• Proctor Robert F
• Bastnagel Philip M
• Bartolomeo Mark E
• Rivers Jonathan Michael
• Handa Eric
• Martin Aaron
• Hamilton Christopher I
• Acker Jonathan P
• Cooper Nathan J

Classifications

• C25D5/617

  Crystalline layers · CPC title

• C25D5/18

  Electroplating using modulated, pulsed or reversing current · CPC title

• C25D5/56

  of plastics · CPC title

• C25D7/04

  Tubes; Rings; Hollow bodies · CPC title

• C23C30/00 Primary

  Coating with metallic material characterised only by the composition of the metallic material, i.e. not characterised by the coating process (C23C26/00, C23C28/00 take precedence) · CPC title