Powder mixtures containing uniform dispersions of ceramic particles in superalloy particles and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9573192-B2
Application number	US-201314036373-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2013
Priority date	Sep 25, 2013
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of a method for producing powder mixtures having uniform dispersion of ceramic particles within larger superalloy particles are provided, as are embodiments of superalloy powder mixtures. In one embodiment, the method includes producing an initial powder mixture comprising ceramic particles mixed with superalloy mother particles having an average diameter larger than the average diameter of the ceramic particles. The initial powder mixture is formed into a consumable solid body. At least a portion of the consumable solid body is gradually melted, while the consumable solid body is rotated at a rate of speed sufficient to cast-off a uniformly dispersed powder mixture in which the ceramic particles are embedded within the superalloy mother particles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
producing an initial powder mixture comprising ceramic particles mixed with superalloy mother particles having an average diameter larger than the average diameter of the ceramic particles;
forming the initial powder mixture into a consumable solid body;
gradually melting at least a portion of the consumable solid body, while rotating the consumable solid body at a rate of speed sufficient to cast-off a uniformly dispersed powder mixture in which the ceramic particles are embedded within the superalloy mother particles; and
adding hard wear particles to the uniformly dispersed powder mixture having an average diameter greater than that of the ceramic particles and less than that of the superalloy mother particles.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the superalloy mother particles have an average diameter between about 10 and 50 microns when contained within the initial powder mixture.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the superalloy mother particles have an average diameter between about 5 and about 40 microns after gradually melting at least a portion of the consumable solid body, while rotating the consumable solid body at a rate of speed sufficient to cast-off a uniformly dispersed powder mixture.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the ceramic particles contained in the initial power mixture have an average diameter between about 5 and about 500 nanometers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the superalloy mother particles contained in the initial power mixture are at least 100 times the size of the ceramic particles.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the ceramic particles comprise at least one of the group consisting of carbide, nitride, boride, silicide, and oxide particles.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the ceramic particles comprise at least one of the group consisting of carbide, nitride, alumina, and zirconia nanoparticles.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the ceramic particles comprise non-oxide ceramic particles, and wherein the initial powder mixture contains between about 5% to about 10% of the non-oxide ceramic particles, by weight.

9. The method of claim 8 further producing the rings of a rolling element bearing utilizing the uniformly dispersed powder mixture.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the ceramic particles comprise oxide particles.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the initial powder mixture contains between about 0.5% to about 1% of the oxide particles, by weight.

12. The method of claim 11 further producing a gas turbine engine component utilizing the uniformly dispersed powder mixture.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein producing comprises mixing the ceramic particles with superalloy mother particles utilizing a Resonant Acoustic Mixing process.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein, during the process of gradually melting at least a portion of the consumable solid body, while rotating the consumable solid body at a rate of speed sufficient to cast-off a uniformly dispersed powder mixture, the consumable solid body is heated utilizing at least one of the group consisting of a laser heat source and a plasma torch.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein gradually melting comprises gradually melting at least a portion of the consumable solid body, while rotating the consumable solid body at a rate of speed sufficient to cast-off a uniformly dispersed powder mixture in which substantially all of the ceramic particles are embedded within the superalloy mother particles.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein gradually melting at least a portion of the consumable solid body, while rotating the consumable solid body at a rate of speed sufficient to cast-off a uniformly dispersed powder mixture is carried-out utilizing a plasma rotating electrode process.

17. A method, comprising:
producing an initial powder mixture comprising ceramic particles mixed with superalloy mother particles having an average diameter larger than the average diameter of the ceramic particles;
forming the initial powder mixture into a consumable solid body;
gradually melting at least a portion of the consumable solid body, while rotating the consumable solid body to cast-off a uniformly dispersed powder mixture in which the ceramic particles are embedded within the superalloy mother particles; and
mixing carbide particles into the uniformly dispersed powder mixture after the steps of forming and gradually melting, the carbide particles having an average diameter greater than that of the ceramic particles and less than that of the superalloy mother particles.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein, after mixing the carbide particles, the uniformly dispersed power mixture contains at least 85% superalloy powder by weight, the remainder carbide particles and ceramic particles.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the carbide particles have an average diameter between 0.5 and 5 microns, wherein the superalloy mother particles have an average diameter between about 10 and 50 microns when contained within the initial powder mixture, and wherein the ceramic particles have an average diameter between about 5 and about 500 nanometers when contained within the initial powder mixture.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Piascik James
• Aizaz Amer
• Cobb James J
• Roundy James S

Classifications

• B22F1/10

  Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material · CPC title

• B22F1/12 Primary

  Metallic powder containing non-metallic particles (containing lubricating or binding agents or organic material B22F1/10) · CPC title

• B22F1/16

  Metallic particles coated with a non-metal (coated with lubricating or binding agents or with organic material B22F1/10) · CPC title

• B22F2998/10

  Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps · CPC title

• B22F5/009

  of turbine components other than turbine blades (of turbine blades B22F5/04) · CPC title