Method of repairing superalloys

1. A method of repairing a superalloy component, the method comprising the following sequential steps performed in sequential order:

(a) cleaning the component;

(b) applying brazing material to the component;

(c) heat treating the component;

(d) inspecting the component;

(e) preparing the surface of the component;

(f) welding the component;

(g) recontouring a surface of the component to obtain a desired profile or shape; and

(h) performing a second inspection of the component,

wherein the welding the component includes welding with a pulse modulated laser source and a wire weld filler material to form a welded area,

wherein the recontouring step includes machining a surface of the component at the welded area to obtain the desired profile or shape,

wherein the heat treating step includes:

heating the component to a first temperature and holding the component at the first temperature for a first predetermined time;

heating the component to a second temperature and holding the component at the second temperature for a second predetermined time, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature;

heating the component to a third temperature and holding the component at the third temperature for a third predetermined time, the second temperature being lower than the third temperature; and

cooling the component;

wherein the cleaning step includes:

immersing the component in a salt bath, and subsequently cleaning the component with a fluoride ion cleaning process; and the salt bath includes sodium hydroxide and an oxidizing agent, and the salt bath having a temperature range of about 400° C. to about 500° C.; and

the fluoride cleaning process is performed in a temperature range of about 900° C. to about 1,200° C., a pressure range between about 50 Torr and about 765 Torr, and using injection gas including one or more of hydrogen and hydrogen fluoride being injected in sequence to allow a reaction and reduction of metal oxides.

2. The method of claim 1 , the applying brazing material step further includes:

the brazing material comprising a nickel based braze alloy having the following composition by weight percent, balance Nickel, about 13%-17% Chromium, about 8%-12% Cobalt, about 2%-5% Tantalum, about 4%-7% Aluminum, about <4% Boron, and about <0.5% Yttrium.

3. The method of claim 1 , the inspecting step includes:

performing a non-destructive test of the component, wherein the non-destructive test comprises a fluorescent penetrant inspection.

4. The method of claim 1 , the performing a second inspection of the component step includes a fluorescent penetrant inspection.

5. The method of claim 1 , the superalloy component includes gamma prime superalloy.

6. The method of claim 5 , the gamma prime superalloy includes at least one of:

B-1900, GTD-111, Inconel 100, Inconel 713, Inconel 738, Inconel 792, Inconel 939, MAR-M-246, MAR-M-509, Rene 77, Rene 108, Rene 125, or U-500, CM 247, Mar M 247.

7. A method of repairing a superalloy component, the method comprising the following sequential steps performed in sequential order:

(a) cleaning the component;

(b) applying brazing material to the component;

(c) heat treating the component;

(d) inspecting the component;

(e) preparing the surface of the component;

(f) welding the component;

(g) recontouring a surface of the component to obtain a desired profile or shape and

(h) performing a second inspection of the component,

wherein the welding the component includes welding with a pulse modulated laser source and a wire weld filler material to form a welded area,

wherein the recontouring includes machining a surface of the component at the welded area to obtain a desired profile or shape, and

wherein the cleaning step includes:

immersing the component in a salt bath, and subsequently

cleaning the component with a fluoride ion cleaning process, and

the preparing the surface step further includes:

based on results of the preceding inspecting step, machining one or more grooves with round contours located as near as possible to a center of the applied braze material to have a homogenous heat dispersion and stress distribution during the welding in the component;

wherein the cleaning step includes:

immersing the component in a salt bath, and subsequently cleaning the component with a fluoride ion cleaning process; and the salt bath includes sodium hydroxide and an oxidizing agent, and the salt bath having a temperature range of about 400° C. to about 500° C.; and

the fluoride cleaning process is performed in a temperature range of about 900° C. to about 1,200° C., a pressure range between about 50 Torr and about 765 Torr, and using injection gas including one or more of hydrogen and hydrogen fluoride being injected in sequence to allow a reaction and reduction of metal oxides.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the grooves are at least about 0.5 mm deep and have a radius of curvature of at least about 1.5 mm.

9. A method of servicing a superalloy component comprised of a gamma prime superalloy, the method comprising the following sequential steps performed in sequential order:

(a) cleaning the component with a salt bath immersion followed by fluoride ion cleaning;

(b) applying brazing material to the component;

(c) heat treating the component;

(d) inspecting the component;

(e) preparing the surface of the component;

(f) welding the component, the welding performed with a pulse modulated laser source and a wire weld filler material;

(g) recontouring a welded area of the component, wherein the recontouring includes machining a surface of the component at the welded area to obtain a desired profile or shape, and

(h) performing a second inspection of the component, wherein the heat treating step includes:

heating the component to a first temperature and holding the component at the first temperature for a first predetermined time;

heating the component to a second temperature and holding the component at the second temperature for a second predetermined time, the second temperature being higher than the first temperature;

heating the component to a third temperature and holding the component at the third temperature for a third predetermined time, the second temperature being lower than the third temperature; and

cooling the component;

wherein the cleaning step includes:

immersing the component in a salt bath, and subsequently cleaning the component with a fluoride ion cleaning process; the salt bath includes sodium hydroxide and an oxidizing agent, and the salt bath having a temperature range of about 400° C. to about 500° C.; and

the fluoride cleaning process is performed in a temperature range of about 900° C. to about 1,200° C., a pressure range between about 50 Torr and about 765 Torr, and using injection gas including one or more of hydrogen and hydrogen fluoride being injected in sequence to allow a reaction and reduction of metal oxides.

10. The method of claim 9 , the gamma prime superalloy includes at least one of:

B-1900, GTD-111, Inconel 100, Inconel 713, Inconel 738, Inconel 792, Inconel 939, MAR-M-246, MAR-M-509, Rene 77, Rene 108, Rene 125, or U-500, CM 247, Mar M 247.

11. The method of claim 10 , the applying brazing material step further includes:

the brazing material comprising a nickel based braze alloy having the following composition by weight percent, balance Nickel, about 13%-17% Chromium, about 8%-12% Cobalt, about 2%-5% Tantalum, about 4%-7% Aluminum, about <4% Boron, and about <0.5% Yttrium.

12. The method of claim 10 , the inspecting step includes:

performing a non-destructive test of the component, wherein the non-destructive test comprises a fluorescent penetrant inspection.

13. The method of claim 10 , the preparing the surface step further includes:

based on results of the preceding inspecting step, machining one or more grooves with round contours located as near as possible to a center of the applied braze material to have a homogenous heat dispersion and stress distribution during the welding in the component.

14. The method of claim 10 , further includes an initial recontouring step performed after the heat treating step, the initial recontouring step machining a brazed surface of the component to obtain a desired profile or shape.