Method of repairing superalloy components using phase agglomeration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11235405-B2
Application number	US-201916402163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2019
Priority date	May 2, 2019
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A method of repairing a superalloy component includes subjecting the superalloy component, including a repair area, to a phase agglomeration cycle, which includes stepped heating and controlled cooling of the component. The method further includes applying weld material to the repair area to create a weld surface; and covering the weld surface with brazing material. The component is then subjected to a braze cycle to produce a brazed component. The brazed component is cleaned, and the cleaned component is subjected to a restorative heat treatment to restore the microcrystalline structure and mechanical properties of the component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of repairing a superalloy component, the method comprising the following sequential steps:
(a) subjecting the superalloy component to a phase agglomeration cycle, the superalloy component comprising at least one repair area;
(b) applying weld material to the at least one repair area to create a weld surface;
(c) covering the weld surface with brazing material;
(d) subjecting the superalloy component to a braze cycle to produce a brazed component;
(e) cleaning the brazed component; and
(f) subjecting the cleaned component to a restorative heat treatment;
wherein step (a) includes heating the superalloy component to a first prescribed temperature, using a uniform ramp rate and one or more periods of holding the superalloy component at a plateau temperature; allowing the superalloy component to cool down at a prescribed cool-down rate to a second prescribed temperature; and performing forced cooling of the superalloy component to a third prescribed temperature;
wherein the step of heating the superalloy component comprises holding the superalloy component at the first prescribed temperature for a first prescribed period; and
wherein the step of heating the superalloy component to a first prescribed temperature comprises heating to a first plateau temperature, holding for a second prescribed period, heating to a second plateau temperature greater than the first plateau temperature, and holding for a third prescribed period longer than the second prescribed period and shorter than the first prescribed period; wherein the second plateau temperature is about 85% of the first prescribed temperature.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the superalloy component is comprised of a high gamma prime superalloy.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the high gamma prime superalloy comprises at least one of: B-1900, GTD-111, Inconel 100, Inconel 713, Inconel 738, Inconel 792, Inconel 939, MAR-M-246, MAR-M-509, Rene 77, Rene 108, Rene 125, U-500, CM 247, or Mar M 247.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prescribed cool-down rate is between about 0.5° F. per minute and about 5° F. per minute.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second prescribed temperature is between 65% and 70% of the first prescribed temperature; and wherein the third prescribed temperature is less than 10% of the first prescribed temperature.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) further includes, after the forced cooling step, allowing the superalloy component to cool to ambient temperature.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to step (a), machining the at least one repair area to produce at least one surface on which the weld material is applied.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising, prior to step (b), applying a base layer of weld material to the at least one surface that has been machined.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) occurs in an inert environment.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises welding a coupon of material into the at least one repair area.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after step (d), subjecting the brazed component to a hot isostatic pressure cycle in a vacuum furnace.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after step (d), blending the brazed areas to produce a smooth surface of the brazed component.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (e) further comprises immersing the brazed component in a salt bath.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein step (e) further comprises cleaning the brazed component with a fluoride ion cleaning process after immersing the brazed component in a salt bath.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after step (e), applying additional brazing material to the weld material and to any visible cracks; subjecting the brazed component with the additional brazing material to the braze cycle; and blending the brazed areas.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to step (f), performing a non-destructive inspection of the brazed component.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to step (f), applying a thermal barrier coating to the surface of the brazed component.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Henderson Brian Leslie
• Cook Paul Albert
• Cui Yan
• Dorriety Daniel James

Classifications

• B23K1/008

  Soldering within a furnace (B23K1/012 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B23P6/00 Primary

  Restoring or reconditioning objects (straightening or restoring form of sheet metal, metal rods, metal tubes, metal profiles, or specific articles made therefrom B21D1/00, B21D3/00; repairing defective or damaged objects by casting techniques B22D19/10) · CPC title

• F01D5/005

  Repairing methods or devices · CPC title

• B23K1/0018

  Brazing of turbine parts · CPC title

• B23K26/1224

  in vacuum · CPC title