IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,786,878
Granted Patent B2
US 10,786,878 · App. 15/657,921 · Granted Sep 29, 2020

Method of welding with buttering

Inventors: Yan Cui (Greer, SC); Srikanth Chandrudu Kottilingam (Greenville, SC); Brian Lee Tollison (Honea Path, SC)
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
B23P6/007B23K9/046B23K9/23B23K2101/001
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,786,878
App. No.
15/657,921
Granted
Sep 29, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of welding a component and a treated component are provided. The method comprises an initial heat-treating of the component comprising a substrate. The method further comprises removing a portion of the substrate to form a treatment region comprising an exposed surface. The method further comprises buttering the exposed surface with a first filler additive to form a weld metal adjacent to the fusion line comprising an easy-to-weld alloy. The method further comprises welding the component with the easy-to-weld alloy and a second filler additive. The first filler additive comprises a sufficient amount of each of Co, Cr, Mo, Fe, Al, Ti, Mn, C and Ni to form the easy-to-weld alloy, when welded with the hard-to-weld base alloy.

Claims (43)

1. A method of welding a component, the method comprising:

an initial heat-treating of the component comprising a substrate, the substrate comprising a hard-to-weld base alloy, the initial heat-treating forming substantially equiaxed gamma prime microstructure having an average gamma prime grain size greater than prior to the initial heat-treating;

removing a portion of the substrate to form a treatment region comprising an exposed surface;

buttering the exposed surface with a first filler additive to form a weld metal adjacent to a fusion line comprising an easy-to-weld alloy;

welding the component with the easy-to-weld alloy and a second filler additive to form a treated component;

depositing a top layer including the first filler additive onto the second filler additive;

post-weld heat-treating the treated component; and

removing the top layer,

wherein the first filler additive comprises a sufficient amount of each of Co, Cr, Mo, Fe, Al, Ti, Mn, C and Ni to form the easy-to-weld alloy, when welded with the hard-to-weld base alloy; and

wherein the second filler additive comprises, by weight:

about 1.0-2.0% tungsten, about 18.0-20.0% cobalt, about 20.0-22.0% chromium, about 2.0-3.0% aluminum, about 0.5-1.5% titanium, about 0.5-1.5% of molybdenum, about 0.03-0.18% carbon, about 3.0-6.0% niobium, up to about 0.15% of tantalum, up to about 0.20% of hafnium, up to about 0.20% of iron, and a balance of nickel; or

1.8-2.2% tungsten, about 18.5-19.5% cobalt, about 22.2-22.8% chromium, about 1.6-1.8% aluminum, about 2.2-2.4% titanium, about 0.15% molybdenum, about 0.35% of iron, about 0.002-0.008% of boron, about 0.08-0.12% carbon, about 1.25-1.45% niobium and a balance of nickel.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hard-to-weld base alloy comprises, by weight, about 9.3-9.7% tungsten, about 9-10% cobalt, about 8.0-8.7% chromium, about 5.25-5.75% aluminum, about 2.80-3.30% of tantalum, about 0.6-0.9% titanium, about 0.4-0.6% molybdenum, about 0-0.2% of iron, about 0.01-0.02% of boron, about 0.07-0.10% of carbon and a balance of nickel.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first filler additive comprises, by weight, about 0.55-2.75% of titanium+aluminum alloy, about 7.0-14% of cobalt, about 9.0-16% of chromium, about 10-20% of molybdenum, about 1.0-5.0% of iron, about 0.05-0.75% of aluminum, about 0.5-2.0% of titanium, less than or equal to about 0.8% of manganese, about 0.02-0.10% of carbon and a balance of nickel, the first filler additive being devoid of hafnium.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the easy-to-weld alloy comprises, by weight, about 11% chromium, about 11% cobalt, about 11% molybdenum, about 3.2% tungsten, about 1.8% aluminum, about 1% titanium and a balance of nickel.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the easy-to-weld alloy forming in the weld metal adjacent to the fusion line comprises gamma prime concentration similar to the second filler additive.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the initial heat-treating of the component comprises increasing temperature up to 2200° F., maintaining 2200° F. for two hours, decreasing temperature at a rate of 1° F./min until 1500° F., and vacuum-quenching.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein post-weld heat-treating the treated component comprises post-weld heat treating the treated component in a vacuum furnace with clamping the component with compressive fixtures.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein post-weld heat-treating the treated component comprises heat-treating the treated component under hot isostatic processing conditions.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein post-weld heat-treating the treated component comprises solution heat treating the treated component.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the component is substantially crack-free after welding.

11. The method according to claim 1 :

wherein the hard-to-weld base alloy comprises, by weight, about 9.3-9.7% tungsten, about 9-10% cobalt, about 8.0-8.7% chromium, about 5.25-5.75% aluminum, about 2.80-3.30% of tantalum, about 0.6-0.9% titanium, about 0.4-0.6% molybdenum, about 0-0.2% of iron, about 0.01-0.02% of boron, about 0.07-0.10% of carbon and a balance of nickel; and

wherein the initial heat-treating of the component comprises increasing temperature up to 2200° F., maintaining 2200° F. for two hours, decreasing temperature at a rate of 1° F./min until 1500° F., and vacuum-quenching.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the first filler additive comprises, by weight, about 0.55-2.75% of titanium+aluminum alloy, about 7.0-14% of cobalt, about 9.0-16% of chromium, about 10-20% of molybdenum, about 1.0-5.0% of iron, about 0.05-0.75% of aluminum, about 0.5-2.0% of titanium, less than or equal to about 0.8% of manganese, about 0.02-0.10% of carbon and a balance of nickel, the first filler additive being devoid of hafnium.

13. The method according to claim 12 :

wherein the easy-to-weld alloy forming in the weld metal adjacent to the fusion line comprises gamma prime concentration similar to the second filler additive; and

wherein the easy-to-weld alloy comprises, by weight, about 11% chromium, about 11% cobalt, about 11% molybdenum, about 3.2% tungsten, about 1.8% aluminum, about 1% titanium and a balance of nickel.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein post-weld heat-treating the treated component includes a technique selected from the group consisting of clamping the component with compressive fixtures in a vacuum furnace, hot isostatic processing, solution heat treating, and combinations thereof.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein post-weld heat-treating the treated component includes clamping the component with compressive fixtures in a vacuum furnace.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein post-weld heat-treating the treated component includes hot isostatic processing.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein post-weld heat-treating the treated component includes solution heat treating.

18. A method of welding a component, the method comprising:

an initial heat-treating of the component comprising a substrate, the substrate comprising a hard-to-weld base alloy comprising, by weight, about 9.3-9.7% tungsten, about 9-10% cobalt, about 8.0-8.7% chromium, about 5.25-5.75% aluminum, about 2.80-3.30% of tantalum, about 0.6-0.9% titanium, about 0.4-0.6% molybdenum, about 0-0.2% of iron, about 0.01-0.02% of boron, about 0.07-0.10% of carbon and a balance of nickel, the initial heat-treating forming substantially equiaxed gamma prime microstructure having an average gamma prime grain size greater than prior to the initial heat-treating;

removing a portion of the substrate to form a treatment region comprising an exposed surface;

buttering the exposed surface with a first filler additive comprising, by weight, about 0.55-2.75% of titanium+aluminum alloy, about 7.0-14% of cobalt, about 9.0-16% of chromium, about 10-20% of molybdenum, about 1.0-5.0% of iron, about 0.05-0.75% of aluminum, about 0.5-2.0% of titanium, less than or equal to about 0.8% of manganese, about 0.02-0.10% of carbon and a balance of nickel, the first filler additive being devoid of hafnium, to form a weld metal adjacent to a fusion line comprising an easy-to-weld alloy comprising, by weight, about 11% chromium, about 11% cobalt, about 11% molybdenum, about 3.2% tungsten, about 1.8% aluminum, about 1% titanium and a balance of nickel; and

welding the component with the easy-to-weld alloy and a second filler additive to form a treated component, the second filler additive comprising, by weight:

about 1.0-2.0% tungsten, about 18.0-20.0% cobalt, about 20.0-22.0% chromium, about 2.0-3.0% aluminum, about 0.5-1.5% titanium, about 0.5-1.5% of molybdenum, about 0.03-0.18% carbon, about 3.0-6.0% niobium, up to about 0.15% of tantalum, up to about 0.20% of hafnium, up to about 0.20% of iron, and a balance of nickel; or

1.8-2.2% tungsten, about 18.5-19.5% cobalt, about 22.2-22.8% chromium, about 1.6-1.8% aluminum, about 2.2-2.4% titanium, about 0.15% molybdenum, about 0.35% of iron, about 0.002-0.008% of boron, about 0.08-0.12% carbon, about 1.25-1.45% niobium and a balance of nickel;

depositing a top layer including the first filler additive onto the second filler additive;

post-weld heat-treating the treated component; and

removing the top layer,

wherein welding the hard-to-weld base alloy with the first filler additive forms the easy-to-weld alloy.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2023
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 065727/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 24, 2017
From: CUI, YAN; KOTTILINGAM, SRIKANTH CHANDRUDU; TOLLISON, BRIAN LEE
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 043081/0528 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190022802A1 · Jan 24, 2019