Refractory metal and alloy refining by laser forming and melting
US7651658B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 22, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jan 26, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 6, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC23C24/10
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A process to chemically refine and consolidate tantalum, niobium and their alloys to a fabricated product of net shape or near-net shape with higher throughput, more consistency, and lower manufacturing costs compared to prior art routes or rejuvenate damaged and deteriorated refractory metal parts. Powder metal is loaded into hoppers to be fed into laser forming/melting equipment. A suitable substrate is loaded into a laser forming/melting chamber onto which the powder will be deposited and consolidated in a point-scan process. As the powder is fed onto successive points of the surface of the substrate in linear traces, the laser is used to heat and partially melt the substrate and completely melt the powder. A combined deposition and melt beam traces the substrate surface repeatedly over a selected area to build up a dense coating of controlled microstructure in multiple layers. A fully dense deposit is built up that becomes the desired shape.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.