Use of powder metal sintering/diffusion bonding to enable applying silicon carbide or rhenium alloys to face seal rotors

• Main Authors: ADAMS ROBBIE J, GIESLER WILLIAM L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.08.2005
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ALLOYS; BEARINGS; BLASTING; CASTING; CHEMISTRY; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; CYLINDERS; DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES; ELECTRICITY; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; GENERATION; HEATING; LIGHTING; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PISTONS; POWDER METALLURGY; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; SEALINGS; SHAFTS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS; WEAPONS; WORKING METALLIC POWDER

A method for making aerospace face seal rotors reinforced by rhenium metal, alloy, or composite in combination with silicon carbide or other ceramic. The resulting rotor also is disclosed. Ceramic grains, preferably silicon carbide (SiC), are mixed with powdered metallic (PM) binder that may be based on a refractory metal, preferably rhenium. The mixture is applied to a rotor substrate. The combined ceramic-metal powder mixture is heated to sintering temperature under pressure to enable fusion of the ceramic in the resulting metal-based substrate. A load may then be applied under an elevated temperature. The resulting coated rotor can exhibit high hot hardness, increased durability and/or high hot wear resistance, as well as high thermal conductivity.