Method and apparatus for forming multi-layered metallic armor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019289681-A1
Application number	US-201815923902-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 16, 2018
Priority date	Mar 16, 2018
Publication date	Sep 19, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method of forming a multi-layered metallic part. The method comprises forming a plurality of ductile layers made of a metallic material having a first ductility. The method also comprises forming at least one high-strength powder layer made of a powdered metallic material having a second ductility higher than the first ductility. The method further comprises assembling the plurality of ductile layers and the at least one high-strength powder layer in an alternating and stacked formation to form a multi-layered metallic assembly. The method additionally comprises oscillating a crystallographic phase of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer between a first crystallographic phase and a second crystallographic phase.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of forming a multi-layered metallic part, comprising:
forming a plurality of ductile layers made of a metallic material having a first ductility; forming at least one high-strength powder layer made of a powdered metallic material having a second ductility higher than the first ductility; assembling the plurality of ductile layers and the at least one high-strength powder layer in an alternating and stacked formation to form a multi-layered metallic assembly; and oscillating a crystallographic phase of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer between a first crystallographic phase and a second crystallographic phase.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein oscillating the crystallographic phase of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer comprises changing a phase transformation temperature of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , before oscillating the crystallographic phase, the method further comprises heating the at least one high-strength powder layer to a temperature higher than the phase transformation temperature corresponding with the first crystallographic phase.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein changing the phase transformation temperature of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer comprises:
holding constant a temperature of the at least one high-strength powder layer; and while holding constant the temperature of the at least one high-strength powder layer, applying a magnetic field to the at least one high-strength powder layer to increase the phase transformation temperature of the powdered metallic material higher than the temperature of the at least one high-strength powder layer.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein oscillating the crystallographic phase of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer comprises increasing a temperature of the at least one high-strength powder layer above a phase transformation temperature of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer is partially consolidated; and oscillating the crystallographic phase of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer fully consolidates the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer.

7 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein forming the at least one high-strength powder layer comprises forming a plurality of high-strength powder layers; and wherein assembling comprises assembling the plurality of ductile layers and the plurality of high-strength powder layers in an alternating and stacked formation such that:
two of the plurality of ductile layers comprise outer ductile layers;
the outer ductile layers are joined together to define an enclosed interior cavity of the multi-layered metallic assembly;
the plurality of high-strength powder layers and are sealed within the enclosed interior cavity; and
at least one of the plurality of ductile layers comprises an inner ductile layer sealed within the enclosed interior cavity and interposed between the plurality of high-strength powder layers.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising purging the multi-layered metallic assembly of oxide-inducing elements by introducing a gas into the enclosed interior cavity while oscillating the crystallographic phase of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer between the first crystallographic phase and the second crystallographic phase.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising trimming excess portions of the outer ductile layers after oscillating the crystallographic phase of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer between the first crystallographic phase and the second crystallographic phase.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the powdered metallic material comprises a steel powder; the first crystallographic phase is an austenite crystallographic phase; the second crystallographic phase is a ferrite and cementite crystallographic phase; and the method further comprises:
heating the high-strength powder layer above a phase transformation temperature corresponding with the austenite crystallographic phase of the steel powder; and
after oscillating the crystallographic phase of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer between the austenite crystallographic phase and the ferrite and cementite crystallographic phase to form at least one high-strength consolidated layer, cooling the high-strength consolidated layer, while in the austenite crystallographic phase, at a cooling rate sufficient for the at least one high-strength consolidated layer to be in a martensitic crystallographic phase.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the phase transformation temperature of the powdered metallic material is increased from between 1414° F. and 1430° F. to at least 1470° F.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the steel powder comprises at least 0.80% carbon.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of ductile layers and the at least one high-strength powder layer comprise a 3-D sub-feature; and the 3-D sub-features collectively define a 3-D feature of the multi-layered metallic assembly.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of ductile layers and the at least one high-strength powder layer are self-supportive and formed separately from one another; and assembling the plurality of ductile layers and the at least one high-strength powder layer in an alternating and stacked formation to form a multi-layered metallic assembly comprises stacking the plurality of ductile layers and the at least one high-strength powder layer on top of each other.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of ductile layers are self-supportive and formed separately from one another; and assembling the plurality of ductile layers and the at least one high-strength powder layer in an alternating and stacked formation to form the multi-layered metallic assembly comprises delivering the powdered metallic material into spaces defined between adjacent ductile layers of the plurality of ductile layers.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising compressing the multi-layered metallic assembly during or after oscillating the crystallographic phase of the powdered metallic material of the at least one high-strength powder layer between the first crystallographic phase and the second crystallographic phase.

17 . Multi-layered metallic armor, comprising:
a plurality of ductile layers made of a first metallic material having a first ductility; a plurality of high-strength powder layers made of a second metallic material having a second ductility higher than the first ductility; wherein each high-strength powder layer of the plurality of high-strength powder layers is sandwiched between two ductile layers of the plurality of ductile layers; and wherein an interface is defined between each high-strength powder layer of the plurality of high-strength powder layers and an adjacent ductile layer of the plurality of ductile layers.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Matsen Marc R
• Negley Mark A

Classifications

• B22F7/02

  of composite layers {(B22F7/002 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B22F2007/042

  characterised by the layer forming method · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• F41H5/045

  all the layers being metal layers · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title