Additive manufacturing of joining preforms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969000-B2
Application number	US-201514794712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2015
Priority date	Jul 8, 2015
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A method of fabricating a joining preform includes the step of printing a self-fluxing joining alloy. Joining includes brazing and soldering. The self-fluxing joining alloy contains at least one of phosphorus, boron, fluorine, chlorine, or potassium. Another printing step prints a non-phosphorous joining alloy. Both printing steps are performed by an additive manufacturing or 3D printing process. The printing a self-fluxing joining alloy step may be repeated until the non-phosphorous joining alloy is substantially encapsulated by the self-fluxing joining alloy. The self-fluxing joining alloy may be a BCuP alloy, a CuP alloy, a CuSnP alloy, a CuSnNiP alloy or a CuAgP alloy. The non-phosphorous joining alloy may be a BAg alloy, a BNi alloy or a BAu alloy.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a joining preform, the method comprising:
printing a self-fluxing joining alloy, the self-fluxing joining alloy containing at least one of phosphorus, boron, fluorine, chlorine, or potassium, the printing a self-fluxing joining alloy step comprising printing multiple layers of the self-fluxing joining alloy, each of the layers having a different percentage of phosphorus;
printing a non-phosphorous joining alloy;
repeating the printing a self-fluxing joining alloy step until the non-phosphorous joining alloy is substantially encapsulated by the self-fluxing joining alloy; and
wherein both printing steps are performed by an additive manufacturing process.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the self-fluxing joining alloy is at least one of: a BCuP alloy, a CuP alloy, a CuSnP alloy, a CuSnNiP alloy or a CuAgP alloy.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-phosphorous joining alloy is at least one of a BAg alloy, a BNi alloy, or a BAu alloy.

4. The method of claim 1 , the printing a self-fluxing joining alloy step further comprising:
printing the self-fluxing joining alloy on a part to be joined.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the joining preform is formed into at least one of:
a cylinder, a disc, a sheet or a washer.

6. The method of claim 1 , the multiple layers comprised of a plurality of inner layers and a plurality of outer layers; and
wherein the outer layers have a different percentage of phosphorus than the inner layers.

7. The method of claim 1 , the multiple layers comprised of a plurality of inner layers and a plurality of outer layers; and
wherein the outer layers have a different melting point than a melting point of the inner layers.

8. A method of fabricating a joining preform, the method comprising:
printing a non-phosphorous joining alloy;
printing a self-fluxing joining alloy on the non-phosphorous joining alloy, the self-fluxing joining alloy containing at least one of phosphorus, boron, fluorine, chlorine, or potassium, the printing a self-fluxing joining alloy step comprising printing multiple layers of the self-fluxing joining alloy, each of the layers having a different percentage of phosphorus; and
wherein both printing steps are performed by an additive manufacturing process.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the self-fluxing joining alloy is at least one of a BCuP alloy, a CuP alloy, a CuSnP alloy, a CuSnNiP alloy or a CuAgP alloy.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the non-phosphorous joining alloy is at least one of a BAg alloy, a BNi alloy, or a BAu alloy.

11. The method of claim 9 , the printing a non-phosphorous joining alloy step further comprising:
printing the non-phosphorous joining alloy on a part to be joined.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the joining preform is formed into at least one of:
a cylinder, a disc, a sheet or a washer.

13. The method of claim 8 , the multiple layers comprised of a plurality of inner layers and a plurality of outer layers; and
wherein the outer layers have a higher percentage of phosphorus than the inner layers.

14. The method of claim 8 , the multiple layers comprised of a plurality of inner layers and a plurality of outer layers; and
wherein the outer layers have a different melting point than a melting point of the inner layers.

15. A method of fabricating a brazing preform, the method comprising:
printing a self-fluxing braze alloy, the self-fluxing braze alloy containing phosphorus, the self-fluxing braze alloy is at least one of a BCuP alloy, a CuP alloy, a CuSnP alloy, a CuSnNiP alloy or a CuAgP alloy, the printing a self-fluxing braze alloy step comprising printing multiple layers of the self-fluxing braze alloy, each of the layers having a different percentage of phosphorus;
printing a non-phosphorous braze alloy, the non-phosphorous braze alloy is a BAg alloy;
repeating the printing a self-fluxing braze alloy step until the non-phosphorous braze alloy is substantially encapsulated by the self-fluxing braze alloy; and
wherein both printing steps are performed by an additive manufacturing process, and the brazing preform is formed into at least one of a cylinder, a disc, a sheet or a washer.

16. The method of claim 15 , the printing a self-fluxing braze alloy step further comprising:
printing the self-fluxing braze alloy on a part to be brazed.

17. The method of claim 15 , the multiple layers comprised of a plurality of inner layers and a plurality of outer layers, the outer layers having a different percentage of phosphorus than the inner layers, and the outer layers having a different melting point than the inner layers.

18. A method of fabricating a joining preform, the method comprising:
printing a self-fluxing alloy in multiple layers, the self-fluxing alloy containing phosphorus, at least some of the layers having a different percentage of phosphorus;
printing a non-phosphorous alloy;
repeating the printing a self-fluxing alloy step until the non-phosphorous alloy is substantially encapsulated by the self-fluxing alloy; and
wherein both printing steps are performed by an additive manufacturing process.

19. The method of claim 18 , the multiple layers comprised of a plurality of inner layers and a plurality of outer layers; and
wherein the outer layers have a different percentage of phosphorus than the inner layers, or the outer layers have a different melting point than a melting point of the inner layers.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the self-fluxing alloy is at least one of a BCuP alloy, a CuP alloy, a CuSnP alloy, a CuSnNiP alloy or a CuAgP alloy, and the non-phosphorous alloy is at least one of a BAg alloy, a BNi alloy, or a BAu alloy.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Witney Andrew Batton
• Breznak Jeffrey Michael

Classifications

• B22F5/10 Primary

  of articles with cavities or holes, not otherwise provided for in the preceding subgroups · CPC title

• B23K35/0244

  Powders, particles or spheres; Preforms made therefrom · CPC title

• B23K35/3606

  Borates or B-oxides · CPC title

• B23K26/354

  by melting · CPC title

• B23K35/0222

  for use in soldering or brazing (B23K35/0205 takes precedence) · CPC title