General Electric Company

Paul John Fink

Jon Conrad Schaeffer

Shyh-Chin Huang

Thomas Joseph Kelly

Michael James Weimer

Douglas Gerard Konitzer

Brian Thomas Hazel

Roger Dale Wustman

John Peter Heyward

Curtiss Mitchell Austin

Christine Govern

Richard Clay Haubert

Timothy Lane Norris

Andi K Bartz

Joseph M Greene

Joshua Leigh Miller

An article and method for stabilization of a nickel-based superalloy coated with a diffusion aluminide coating. The region below the aluminide coating is first carburized to form refractory carbides. The article is cleaned and masked as required so that regions that will not have an aluminide coating are not carburized. After placing the article into a furnace and heating in a non-oxidizing atmosphere to a carburizing temperature, a carburizing gas is introduced, and the near surface region is carburized to a depth of about 100 microns. Refractory carbides are formed in this region. When a diffusion aluminide coating is formed on the article, the refractory elements, being present as refractory carbides, are not available to form detrimental TCP phases.

Method for substrate stabilization of diffusion aluminide coated nickel-based superalloys

A gas turbine engine includes a blade including a leading edge, a trailing edge, a first sidewall extending in radial span between a blade root and blade tip, and a second sidewall connected to the first sidewall at the leading edge and at the trailing edge. The first and second sidewalls each include an outer surface and an inner surface. A cooling cavity is defined by the first sidewall inner surface and the second sidewall inner surface. At least a portion of the cooling cavity is coated with an oxidation resistant environmental coating that has a thickness less than 0.0015 inches.

Methods and apparatus for extending gas turbine engine airfoils useful life

A gamma titanium aluminide alloy article is produced from a piece of cast gamma titanium aluminide alloy by consolidating the gamma titanium aluminide alloy piece at a temperature above the eutectoid to reduce porosity therein, preferably by hot isostatic pressing. The piece is first heat treated at a temperature above the eutectoid for a time sufficient to form a structure of gamma grains plus lamellar colonies of alpha and gamma phases, and thereafter second heat treated at a temperature below the eutectoid to grow gamma grains within the colony structure, thereby reducing the effective grain size of the colony structure. There may follow an additional heat treatment just below the alpha transus to reform any remaining colony structure to produce a structure having isolated alpha-two laths within gamma grains.

Method for heat treating gamma titanium aluminide alloys

A process is provided for manufacturing and repairing components, and particularly superalloy components such as gas turbine engine components. The invention entails forming precipitates in a surface of the article that has been cold worked as a result of surface machining, cleaning, handling, etc. The precipitates serve to prevent recrystallization and formation of a secondary reaction zone in the cold worked surface of the superalloy when subsequently exposed to temperatures approaching the solution temperature of the superalloy, such that the microstructure and mechanical properties of the superalloy article are preserved.

Method for preventing recrystallization after cold working a superalloy

Growing community of inventors

Maineville, OH, United States of America

Paul John Fink