Cold gas spray coating methods and compositions

Abstract

Cold gas spray coating methods, compositions and articles. A cold gas spray method is described including spraying a composition containing at least one nickel or iron based material blended with a softer, shear-deformable, secondary phase metal and/or metal alloy, onto a surface to deposit a dense, porous coating. The compositions used in and articles produced by such methods are also described.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The field of art to which this invention generally pertains is cold gas spray coating.BACKGROUND[0002]Cold gas spray coating is a coating deposition method which uses powder material accelerated at high speeds through gas jets which adheres to a surface during impact. Metals, polymers and ceramics are some representative materials which can be deposited using cold gas spray techniques. Unlike thermal spraying methods, such as plasma spraying, arc spraying, and flame spraying, for example, the powders are not externally melted during spraying. The technology has particular utility in the area of parts repair. For example, there have been problems associated with corrosion and wear of metal alloys that are used to fabricate many different types of components. This can represent a costly and significant problem associated with large and expensive articles, such as transmission and gearbox housings for rotary aircraft, for example. Cold gas spray coating provides on...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]Additional embodiments include: the method described above where the primary phase of nickel or iron based material contains one or more of steel, stainless steel, nickel alloy, nickel superalloy, cobalt alloy, titanium alloy, and intermetallics: the method described above where the primary phase of nickel or iron based material contains one or more of nickel cladding, nickel powder, blended nickel-aluminum powder, and ceramic; the method described above where the secondary phase contains one or more of copper, aluminum, silver, zinc, platinum, palladium, and alloys thereof; the method described above where the secondary phase contains nickel particles at least partially clad with aluminum flakes; the method described above where the ceramic contains one or more of YSZ, alumina, tungsten carbides, CrC, TiO2, TiOx=1.7 to 1.9, and SiC; the method described above where the ceramic is clad with a soft ductile alloy; the method described above where the coating is at least 1 millimeter thick; the method described above where the coating has substantially no residual stress, low porosity, low oxide content, and substantially no internal cracking; the method described above where the composition is sprayed at an average velocity of at least about 600 meters per second, at spray plume temperatures less than about 1000° C., at a feed rate greater than about 20 grams per minute; the method described above where the primary and secondary phase metals are combined by one or more of mechanical blending, mechanical alloying, mechanical cladding, agglomeration by spray drying, pelletizing, chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, electrochemical deposition and / or plasma densification; the method described above where the agglomeration comprises agglomeration of nano-scale powders; the method described above where the physical vapor deposition comprises fluidized bed physical vapor deposition; the method described above where the chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, and / or electrochemical deposition comprises deposition of at least one secondary phase metal on the outer surface of at least one primary phase metal.

[0006]Additional embodiments also include: a composition particularly adapted for use in cold spray coating, comprising at least one primary phase of nickel or iron based material blended with a softer, shear-deformable, secondary phase metal and / or metal alloy; the composition described above where the primary phase of nickel or iron based material contains one or more of steel, stainless steel, nickel alloy, nickel superalloy, cobalt alloy, titanium alloy, and intermetallics; the composition described above where the primary phase of nickel or iron based material contains one or more of nickel cladding, nickel powder, blended nickel-aluminum powder, and ceramic; the composition described above where the secondary phase contains one or more of copper, aluminum, silver, zinc, platinum, palladium, and alloys thereof; the composition described above where the secondary phase contains nickel particles at least partially clad with aluminum flakes the composition described above where the ceramic contains one or more of YSZ, alumina, tungsten carbides, CrC, TiO2, TiOx=1.7 to 1.9, and SiC; the composition described above where the ceramic is clad with a soft ductile alloy; and the coated articles produced with the compositions and by the methods described above.

Problems solved by technology

For example, there have been problems associated with corrosion and wear of metal alloys that are used to fabricate many different types of components.

This can represent a costly and significant problem associated with large and expensive articles, such as transmission and gearbox housings for rotary aircraft, for example.

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