Low melt superalloy powder for liquid assisted additive manufacturing of a superalloy component
A low melt superalloy powder mixture is provided for use with additive manufacturing or welding metal components or portions thereof. The low melt superalloy powder may include by weight about 9.5% to about 10.5% chromium, about 2.9% to about 3.4% cobalt, about 8.0% to about 9.0% aluminum, about 3.8% to about 4.3% tungsten, about 0.8% to about 1.2% molybdenum, about 10% to about 20% tantalum, about 3% to about 12% hafnium, and at least 40% nickel.
1. A low melt superalloy powder comprising by weight about 9.5% to about 10.5% chromium, about 2.9% to about 3.4% cobalt, about 8.0% to about 9.0% aluminum, about 3.8% to about 4.3% tungsten, about 0.8% to about 1.2% molybdenum, about 10% to about 20% tantalum, about 3% to about 12% hafnium, and at least 40% nickel.
2. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 1 , including by weight 7.0% to 9.0% hafnium.
3. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 1 , comprising by weight 0% to about 2% titanium, 0% to about 0.08% carbon, 0% to about 1% zirconium, 0% to about 0.05% rhenium, 0% to about 0.1% yttrium and/or cerium, and/or 0% to about 0.04% boron.
4. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 2 , having at maximum 0.05% titanium by weight.
5. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 2 , including by weight 0.03% to 0.07% yttrium and/or cerium.
6. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 2 , having a powder size distribution between about 10 to about 100 micrometers.
7. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 2 , comprising the following composition in weight %:
Cr
9.5-10.5
Co
2.9-3.4
Ti
0-2
Al
8-9
W
3.8-4.3
Mo
0.8-1.2
Ta
10-20
C
0-0.08
Zr
0-1
Hf
3-12
Re
0-0.05
Y and/or Ce
0-0.1
B
0-0.04
the balance nickel and optional incidental elements and unavoidable impurities.
8. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 7 , comprising by weight at maximum 0.01% of one or more unavoidable impurities elements.
9. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 7 , comprising by weight at maximum 1.5% of one or more incidental elements other than Cr, Co, Ti, Al, W, Mo, Ta, C, Zr, Hf, Re, Y, Ce and B.
10. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 7 , comprising one or more incidental elements selected from the following with a respective maximum weight percent or maximum ppm as indicated:
S
30
ppm
Nb
1.5%
Mn
0.6%
Fe
0.05%
Si
0.30%
P
50
ppm
Mg
50
ppm
Cu
0.01%
N
60
ppm
O
250
ppm
Ag
1
ppm
As
5
ppm
Bi
0.1
ppm
Cd
2
ppm
Ga
25
ppm
In
0.2
ppm
Pb
2
ppm
Sb
2
ppm
Se
1
ppm
Sn
10
ppm
Te
0.1
ppm
Tl
0.2
ppm
Zn
5
ppm.
V
1.5%
11. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 10 , wherein the unavoidable impurities are within the maximum amounts for the respective incidental elements and for any other elements that maximum is 0.001% by weight.
12. The low melt superalloy powder according to claim 7 , wherein the low melt superalloy powder has a liquidus temperature above 1300° C.
13. A method of manufacturing the low melt superalloy powder according to claim 1 comprising:
mixing the components of a low melt superalloy in the required proportions at an elevated temperature in a melt; and
forming powder particles in a solid form comprised of the low melt superalloy, wherein at least a portion of the powder particles formed have a powder size distribution between 10-100 micrometers.
14. A method of additively manufacturing or welding a metal component using a superalloy powder mixture including at least 5% by weight of the low melt superalloy powder according to claim 1 , comprising:
successively depositing and fusing together layers of the superalloy powder mixture to build up an additive portion,
heat treating the additive portion at a temperature at or above 1200° C. to form a homogenized base alloy of which the additive portion is comprised, which base alloy has a chemistry defined by the superalloy powder mixture.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the superalloy powder mixture is deposited and fused together via a selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printer to form the additive portion.
16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the superalloy powder mixture is deposited and fused together via a Directed Energy Deposition (DED) nozzle that both provides the superalloy powder mixture and emits an energy beam that melts the superalloy powder mixture to form the additive portion.
17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the superalloy powder mixture is deposited and fused together via a laser wire deposition (LWD) system, which employs a welding wire to provide the superalloy powder mixture.
18. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the superalloy powder mixture is deposited and fused together with a polymer binder via a binder-based 3D-printer to form the additive portion, wherein at least one heat treatment is carried out in at least one furnace that burns off the binder, sinters the superalloy powder mixture, causes the superalloy powder mixture to at least partially fill in pores in the additive portion, and at least partially homogenizes the additive portion.
19. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the superalloy powder mixture further includes at least 51% by weight of a high melt superalloy powder having a solidus temperature at least 50° C. higher than the solidus temperature of the low melt superalloy powder, wherein the high melt superalloy powder includes less than half the content by weight percent of tantalum compared to the content by weight percent of tantalum in the low melt superalloy powder, wherein each of the high melt superalloy powder, the low melt superalloy powder, and the superalloy powder mixture have a nickel content by weight greater than 40%, and have an aluminum content by weight of greater than 4%.