Joining process and joined article

1. A joining process, comprising:

providing an article having a base material comprising a superalloy;

positioning the article;

providing a sintered brazing preform comprising a low melt portion and a high melt portion;

positioning the sintered brazing preform adjacent the base material so that the sintered brazing preform forms an interface with the base material of the article; and

friction joining the sintered brazing preform to the base material by generating sufficient heat by friction at the interface to melt the low melt portion of the sintered brazing preform at the interface without melting the high melt portion of the sintered brazing preform or the base material of the article;

wherein the sintered brazing preform forms a feature on the article.

2. The joining process of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a sintered brazing preform further comprises:

providing particles comprising a first metal alloy having a first melting temperature;

providing particles comprising a second metal alloy having a second melting temperature, the second melting temperature being lower than the first melting temperature, the second metal alloy including at least one melting point depressant;

providing a binder;

uniformly mixing the first metal alloy particles, the second metal alloy particles and the binder; and

sintering the first metal alloy particles and the second metal alloy particles at a first elevated temperature sufficient to burn out the binder while bonding the first metal alloy particles and the second metal alloy particles together without melting the second metal alloy particles.

3. The joining process of claim 1 wherein the step of providing the article having the base material further comprises providing an article wherein the superalloy is a precipitation hardened superalloy.

4. The joining process of claim 2 wherein the step of providing particles comprising a first metal alloy further includes providing particles of a precipitation hardened superalloy.

5. The joining process of claim 2 wherein the step of providing particles comprising a first metal alloy further includes providing first metal alloy particles having the same composition as the base material.

6. The joining process of claim 1 wherein the feature formed on the article is net shape.

7. The joining process of claim 1 further including an additional step of machining the feature on the article to a final configuration.

8. The joining process of claim 1 wherein the feature formed on the article is near net shape and further includes an additional step of material removal to a final configuration.

9. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the friction joining is at a pressure between about 30 ksi and about 50 ksi.

10. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the friction joining is for a duration of between about 15 seconds and about 19 seconds.

11. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the friction joining has an amplitude of between about 4 mm and about 6 mm.

12. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the friction joining has an oscillatory frequency of between about 25 Hz and about 400 Hz.

13. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein an interface region between the base material and the sintered brazing preform remains devoid of cracking when exposed to a temperature of between about 2000° F. and about 2100° F. for a duration of between about 90 minutes and about 150 minutes.

14. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the base material is incompatible for non-friction based joining with the sintered brazing preform.

15. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the superalloy is a nickel-based alloy.

16. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the superalloy is a cobalt-based alloy.

17. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the superalloy has a composition, by weight, of:

between about 8.0% and about 8.7% Cr, between about 9% and about 10% Co, between about 5.25% and about 5.75% Al, up to about 0.9% Ti, between about 9.3% and about 9.7% W, up to about 0.6% Mo, between about 2.8% and about 3.3% Ta, between about 1.3% and about 1.7% Hf, up to about 0.1% C, up to about 0.02% Zr, up to about 0.02% B, up to about 0.2% Fe, up to about 0.06% Si, up to about 0.1% Mn, up to about 0.1% Cu, up to about 0.01% P, up to about 0.004% S, up to about 0.1% Nb, and the balance nickel;

between about 13.7% and about 14.3% Cr, between about 9% and about 10% Co, between about 2.8% and about 3.2% Al, between about 4.7% and about 5.1% Ti, between about 3.5% and about 4.1% W, between about 1.4% and about 1.7% Mo, between about 2.4% and about 3.1% Ta, up to about 0.12% C, up to about 0.04% Zr, up to about 0.02% B, up to about 0.35% Fe, up to about 0.3% Si, up to about 0.1% Mn, up to about 0.1% Cu, up to about 0.015% P, up to about 0.005% S, up to about 0.15% Nb, and the balance nickel;

about 7.5% Co, 9.75% Cr, about 4.2% Al, 3.5% Ti, about 1.5% Mo, about 4.8% Ta, about 6% W, up to about 0.5% Nb, up to about 0.15% Hf, up to about 0.08% C, up to about 0.00925% B, and the balance nickel; and

about 7% Cr, about 8% Co, about 2% Mo, about 5% W, about 6% Ta, about 6.2% Al, up to about 0.2% Hf, about 3% Re, and the balance nickel.

18. The joining process of claim 2 , wherein the second metal alloy is at a concentration, by weight, of between about 5% and about 60%.

19. The joining process of claim 2 , wherein the first metal alloy is at a concentration, by weight, of between about 40% and about 95%.

20. The joining process of claim 2 , wherein the first metal alloy has a composition selected from the group consisting of, by weight, of:

between about 13.7% and about 14.3% Cr, between about 9% and about 10% Co, between about 2.8% and about 3.2% Al, between about 4.7% and about 5.1% Ti, between about 3.5% and about 4.1% W, between about 1.4% and about 1.7% Mo, between about 2.4% and about 3.1% Ta, up to about 0.12% C, up to about 0.04% Zr, up to about 0.02% B, up to about 0.35% Fe, up to about 0.3% Si, up to about 0.1% Mn, up to about 0.1% Cu, up to about 0.015% P, up to about 0.005% S, up to about 0.15% Nb, and the balance nickel;

between about 8.0% and about 8.7% Cr, between about 9% and about 10% Co, between about 5.25% and about 5.75% Al, up to about 0.9% Ti, between about 9.3% and about 9.7% W, up to about 0.6% Mo, between about 2.8% and about 3.3% Ta, between about 1.3% and about 1.7% Hf, up to about 0.1% C, up to about 0.02% Zr, up to about 0.02% B, up to about 0.2% Fe, up to about 0.06% Si, up to about 0.1% Mn, up to about 0.1% Cu, up to about 0.01% P, up to about 0.004% S, up to about 0.1% Nb, and the balance nickel;

between about 13.7% and about 14.3% Cr, between about 9% and about 10% Co, between about 2.8% and about 3.2% Al, between about 4.8% and about 5.2% Ti, between about 3.7% and about 4.3% W, between about 3.7% and about 4.3% Mo, up to about 0.1% Re, up to about 0.1% Ta, up to about 0.1% Hf, up to about 0.19% C, up to about 0.15% Pd, up to about 0.3% Pt, up to about 0.01% Mg, up to about 0.1% Zr, up to about 0.02% B, up to about 0.35% Fe, up to about 0.1% Si, up to about 0.1% Mn, up to about 0.015% P, up to about 0.0075% S, up to about 0.1% Nb, and the balance nickel;

between about 6.6% and about 7% Cr, between about 11.45% and about 12.05% Co, between about 5.94% and about 6.3% Al, up to about 0.02% Ti, between about 4.7% and about 5.1% W, between about 1.3% and about 1.7% Mo, between about 2.6% and about 3% Re, between about 6.2% and about 6.5% Ta, between about 1.3% and about 1.7% Hf, up to about 0.14% C, up to about 0.3% Pt, up to about 0.0035% Mg, up to about 0.03% Zr, up to about 0.02% B, up to about 0.2% Fe, up to about 0.06% Si, up to about 0.1% Mn, up to about 0.01% P, up to about 0.004% S, up to about 0.1% Nb, and the balance nickel; and

between about 16.5% and about 18.5% Cr, between about 27% and about 30% Mo, about 1.5% Ni, up to about 0.08% C, about 1.5% Fe, between about 3% and about 3.8% Si, up to about 0.03% P, up to about 0.03% S, up to about 0.15% O, and the balance cobalt.

21. The joining process of claim 2 , wherein the second metal alloy has a composition selected from the group consisting of, by weight, of:

between about 22.5% and about 24.25% Cr, up to about 0.3% Ti, between about 6.5% and about 7.5% W, between about 9% and about 11% Ni, between about 3% and about 4% Ta, up to about 0.65% C, between about 2% and about 3% B, about 1.3% Fe, up to about 0.4% Si, up to about 0.1% Mn, up to about 0.02% S, and the balance cobalt;

about 14% Cr, about 10% Co, about 3.5% Al, about 2.75% B, between about 2.5% and about 2.75% Ta, up to about 0.1% Y, and the balance nickel;

about 14% Cr, about 9% Co, about 4% Al, about 2.5% B, and the balance nickel;

about 15.3% Cr, about 10.3% Co, about 3.5% Ta, about 3.5% Al, about 2.3% B, and the balance nickel; and

about 28% Mo, about 17% Cr, about 3% Si, and the balance cobalt.

22. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the friction joining is in an inert environment with heat of at least about 400° F.

23. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the article is a turbine component selected from the group consisting of a bucket, a blade, a nozzle, a turbine wheel, a platform, a dovetail, a seal, and combinations thereof.

24. The joining process of claim 1 , wherein the article is a component of a system selected from the group consisting of a gas turbine, a turbine engine, a steam turbine, a wind turbine, a power generation system, a propulsion system, and combinations thereof.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base material is not melted by the heat by friction generated from the friction joining.

26. A joining process, comprising:

positioning a turbine component having a base material; and

friction joining a sintered brazing preform comprising a low melt portion and a high melt portion to the base material by generating sufficient heat by friction at an interface between the turbine component and the sintered brazing preform to heat the interface to a brazing temperature and melt the low melt portion of the sintered brazing preform at the interface without melting the high melt portion of the sintered brazing preform or the base material of the turbine component;

wherein the sintered brazing preform forms a feature on the turbine component;

wherein the base material has a composition, by weight, of between about 8.0% and about 8.7% Cr, between about 9% and about 10% Co, between about 5.25% and about 5.75% Al, up to about 0.9% Ti, between about 9.3% and about 9.7% W, up to about 0.6% Mo, between about 2.8% and about 3.3% Ta, between about 1.3% and about 1.7% Hf, up to about 0.1% C, up to about 0.02% Zr, up to about 0.02% B, up to about 0.2% Fe, up to about 0.06% Si, up to about 0.1% Mn, up to about 0.1% Cu, up to about 0.01% P, up to about 0.004% S, up to about 0.1% Nb, and the balance nickel;

wherein the sintered brazing preform has a composition of, by weight, about 50% of a first metal alloy and 50% of a second metal alloy;

wherein the first metal alloy has a composition, by weight, of between about 8.0% and about 8.7% Cr, between about 9% and about 10% Co, between about 5.25% and about 5.75% Al, up to about 0.9% Ti, between about 9.3% and about 9.7% W, up to about 0.6% Mo, between about 2.8% and about 3.3% Ta, between about 1.3% and about 1.7% Hf, up to about 0.1% C, up to about 0.02% Zr, up to about 0.02% B, up to about 0.2% Fe, up to about 0.06% Si, up to about 0.1% Mn, up to about 0.1% Cu, up to about 0.01% P, up to about 0.004% S, up to about 0.1% Nb, and the balance nickel;

wherein the second metal alloy has a composition, by weight, of about 14% Cr, about 10% Co, about 3.5% Al, about 2.75% B, between about 2.5% and about 2.75% Ta, up to about 0.1% Y, and the balance nickel;

wherein an interface region between the base material and the feature remains devoid of cracking when exposed to a temperature of between about 2000° F. and about 2100° F. for a duration of between about 90 minutes and about 150 minutes.