Method of depositing a metal layer on a component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12091768-B2
Application number	US-202318463350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2023
Priority date	Jul 13, 2022
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A method for depositing a metal layer on a component includes applying an electrically conductive coating composition comprising a resin and metal particles on a coating region of the component and partially curing the resin to a gel state to form an electrically conductive coating. The method also includes applying additional metal particles to the partially cured resin in the gel state and depositing, via an electrodeposition process, a metal layer on the electrically conductive coating.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for depositing a metal layer on a component, the method comprising:
applying an electrically conductive coating composition comprising a resin and metal particles on a coating region of the component;
partially curing the resin to a gel state to form an electrically conductive coating;
applying additional metal particles to the partially cured resin in the gel state; and
depositing, via an electrodeposition process, a metal layer on the electrically conductive coating.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component comprises a foam material.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component comprises a ceramic matrix composite material or a polymer matrix composite material.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resin comprises epoxy resin, polyimide resin, polymer-derived ceramic, or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal particles comprise Ni, NiCo, NiMo, CoCr, Co, Cu, their alloys, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal particles have an aspect ratio of 1 to 100.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal particles have an average particle size of less than 50 microns.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal particles comprise 10 wt. % to 65 wt. % of the electrically conductive coating composition.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer comprises Ni, NiCo, NiMo, CoCr, Co, Cu, their alloys, or combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising, before applying the electrically conductive coating composition, preparing a surface of the component to form the coating region.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein preparing the surface of the component comprises grit blasting the surface of the component.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal particles are graded throughout the electrically conductive coating such that a higher concentration of metal particles is located towards an outer surface of the electrically conductive coating.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising disposing a non-woven fiber layer on the coating region of the component before applying the electrically conductive coating composition.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the non-woven fiber layer comprises metal coated fibers.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the component comprises a gas turbine engine component.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the gas turbine engine component comprises an airfoil.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the metal layer is formed on a leading edge of the airfoil.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the leading edge includes a plurality of peaks and valleys.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal layer has a thickness of 10 mils to 30 mils.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein a bond strength between the metal layer and electrically conductive layer is 0.5 ksi to 5 ksi.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Krishnamurthy Sriram
• Krishnan Lakshmi
• Kryj-Kos Elzbieta
• Welch Justin M

Classifications

• C25D7/00

  Electroplating characterised by the article coated · CPC title

• F05D2230/31

  Layer deposition · CPC title

• F05D2230/10

  by removing material · CPC title

• F05D2300/433

  Polyamides, e.g. NYLON · CPC title

• F05D2300/434

  Polyimides, e.g. AURUM · CPC title