Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to thermal spray powders,
that is to say powders which are sprayed by thermal spraying
such as flame spraying onto a substrate to form a coating on
the substrate to provide desired surface properties.
One use of such powders is to form a coating on a
substrate to provide an abradable seal, that is to say a
coating which seals the space between the substrate and an
adjacent surface movable relative thereto, and which is
abraded to a controlled extent by relative movement between
the substrate and the adjacent surface. Such a seal is
initiall~ formed by thermal spraying a powder onto the sùb-
strate to form a coating with a slightly greater thickness
than the spacing between the substrate and the adjacent
surface, so that the coating is abraded by relative movement
between the substrate and the adjacent surface to a slightly
lesser thickness corresponding to the spacing between the
substrate and the adjacent surface so as to provide an effi-
cient seal therebetween. Such seals are used for example on
turbine or compressor blades of gas turbine engines, such as
those used in aircraft, to provide a seal between the blades
and the turbine or compressor housing.
One of the problems in providing a suitable abrad-
able seal is to produce a thermally sprayed coating which, on
the one hand has sufficient structural strength which neverthe-
less is low enough to provide abradability, and which, on the
other hand, has a sufficiently high resistance to erosion by
particles impinging on the abradable seal coating during use.
For example, in the case of gas turbine or compressor blades,
the seal coating is subjected to impingement by abrasive par-
ticles entrained in the air and ingested by the engine.
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.
Powders used to form abradable seal coatings usuallyinclude a metallic material to provide sprayability, structural
strength and erosion resistance, and a non-metallic solid material
to directly or indirectly provide structural weakness, that is to
say abradability, in the seal coating. The non-metallic solid
material should have good lubricity, that is to say good low fric-
tion properties, and preferably also good heat insulating proper-
ties. The non-metallic solid material may be ceramic material.
The properties of an abradable seal coating depend
lo not only on the physical and chemical nature of the powder
but also on the conditions under which the thermal spraying
process is carried out. The interaction between the physical
and chemical properties of the powder and the spraying condi-
tions is complex. For example, the basic variables involved
with respect to the powder are the melting point, surface
tension and specific surface area of the powder particles,
all of which variables affect the degree to which a powder
part~cle will be melted for a given heat input and also affect
the configuration in which the particles are deposited on the
substrate, for example with lamellar or spherical shape.
Another variable is the heat input during spraying which is
mainly controlled by varying the amount of gas combusted and/or
the velocity of the powder travelling through the flame or
plasma in the thermal spray.
In one type of powder used to form abradable seal
coatings, each powder particle hàs a central core of non-
metallic solid material surrounded by a layer of metallic
material, as described for example in United States patent
No. 3,914,507. Such powders are known as composite powders,
with the powder particles being known as composite powder
particles. One composite powder of this kind which has been
suggested has particles each having a core surrounded by nickel
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or nickel alloy, and a~radable seal coatings formed by thermal
spraying such powders have been found to be potentially use-
ful as abradable seal coatings on compressor or turbine blades
of aircraft gas turbine en~ines.
For thermal spraying to provide abradable seal
coatings, at least about 95% of the particles should be
less than about 150 microns (100 mesh Tyler equivalent) in
size, since conventional thermal spray equipment can only
satisfactorily spray powder with particles conforming to
this size limitation. Conventionally, when spraying com-
posite powder to form an abradable seal, it has been the
practice to use powders with particle sizes conforming to
this size limitation, and with at least 70% by weight of
the particles being less than 75 microns (200 mesh) since
it has been believed that such a size distribution was
required to produce an abradable seal coating with satis-
factory properties.
It has now been discovered that a markedly improved
combination of abradability and erosion resistance is obtained
if nickel or nickel alloy composite powder has from about 50
to about 90% by weight, and preferably from about 55 to about
65%, of its particles greater in size then about 75 microns.
Also, there should be less than about 10%, and preferably less
than about 5% of the particles with a size below 45 microns (325
mesh). This relatively coarse powder can be sprayed with con-
ventional thermal spray equipment, and the lower specific area
of the coarser powder of the present invention allows less heat
transfer into each particle during spraying so that less melt-
ing and/or superheating of the nickel or nickel alloy occurs.
This encourages the deposition of the composite alloy
particles on a substrate in substantially spherical form
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rather than lamellar form, and this in turn reduces the con-
tact area between individual powder particles in the seal
coating, thereby increasing the abradability.
Further, since composite powder with particle
sizes in accordance with the invention allows only a limited
heat transfer into each particle during spraying, the powder
of the present invention is less sensitive to inadvertent
errors during the spraying operation than the prior art finer
powders so far as minor variations of desired spraying con-
ditions affecting heat input are concerned.
The ratio of nickel or nickel alloy to non-metallic
central core is preferably in the range of from about 78:22
to about 90:10, preferably in the range of from about 80:20 to
about 82:18.
The nickel alloy may be nickel-chromium-aluminum
~NiCrA11 alloy.
Although NiCrAl composite powder has previously been
proposed for use in connection with prior art finer powders
for forming abradable seal coatings, it has been found that
the abradability of seal coatings formed from such powder
tends to decrease when the seal coatings have been subjected
to typical operating temperatures of an aircraft gas turbine
engine, that is to say from about 650C up to about 850C.
It has been believed that this loss of abradability was due
to the gradual oxidation of the metallic content of the seal
coating, with the oxides functioning to increase the strength
of the bonds between metallic particles in the seal coating,
and hence decrease abradability.
According to the prior art, this tendency has been
overcome so far as possible by forming the NiCrAl alloy wi~h
percentages of nickel, chromium and aluminum which tend to
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produce an alloy with the best oxidation resistance, a typical
such composition containing 79% nickel, 16% chromium and 5%
aluminum by weight. Although this solution has alleviated the
problem to some extent, the rate of loss of abradability of
the seal coating formed from such NiCrAl composite powder at
temperatures of the order mentioned above has still been un-
acceptably high.
In accordance with a further feature of this inven-
tion, it has now been unexpectedly found that this problem i5
substantially overcome if chromium is present at a value in
the range of from about 4% to about 8%, preferably from about
4.5~ to about 6~, and the aluminum is present at a value in
the range of from about 2~ to about 6%, preferably from about
3~ to about 5%.
Although the reason for the improved abradability
of a seal coating formed from a powder of such a metallic
composition is not clear, it is believed that the reason may
be connected with the nature o the small but significant
amount of oxidation of the metallic content of the seal coat-
ing at the temperatures concerned~ It is believed that theoxide~ formed by an alloy having a composition in accordance
with the invention increase the strength of the bonds hetween
the metallic particles to a much less extent than the oxides
formed by an alloy of high oxidation resistance as mentioned
above.
Abradable seal coatings made from powder in accord-
ance with this further feature of the invention exhibit
oxidation resistance and coating integrity (that is to say
freedom from spalling) similar to that of conventional oxida-
tion resistant alloys up to about 850C. Unintentional pre-
sence of up to about 1% silicon and/or up to about 1~ iron
1~41S6~1
in the NiCrAl alloy may have an important influence in this
aspect of the coating performance.
It has also been found that a further advantage
of this feature of the present invention is that such a
chromium and aluminum content produces a favourable surface
tension effect during thermal spraying which enables a seal
coating of very desirable abradability to be formed. Abrada-
bility is favoured by the deposition of the composite powder
onto a substrate in a substantially spherical rather than
lamellar form. It would have been expected that, since the
presence of the alloying elements chromium and aluminum in
the nickel lowers the melting point, the composite powder
particles would tend to be present in lamellar form in the
seal coating. It has been found that this is not the case,
and it is believed that the amounts of chromium and aluminum
in accordance with this feature of the invention produce
a ~urface tension effect which assists in causing the par-
ticles in the seal coating to be substantially spherical
rather than lamellar.
As mentioned earlier, it is preferable that the
non-metallic core material be ceramic, and suitable core
materials in this respect are bentonite and rhyolite. Also,
each core preferably consists of a single core particle.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described,
by way of example, with reference to the accompanying
drawings, of which:
Figure 1 shows a graph of erosion number against
ultimate tensile strength for abradable
seal coatings formed from a coarser pow-
der in accordance with the invention and
formed from a finer powder in accordance
with the prior art,
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Figure 2 shows a graph indicating the change in
ultimate tensile strength with time at
800C for a seal coating formed from a
powder with a NiCrAl composition in
accoraance with the present invention
and a seal coating formed from a powder
with a NiCrAl composition in accordance
with the prior art, and
Figure 3 shows a graph indicating the amount of
oxidation found in the abradable seal
coatings with which Figure 2 is concerned.
NiCrAl/bentonite powder having a weight ratio of
NiCrAl to bentonite of 80:20 was produced by coating bentonite
core particles with nickel in a manner as described in United
States patent No. 3,062,680, such that each bentonite core
particle was coated with a layer of nickel, the bentonite
core particle siæes being less than 150 microns (100 mesh).
The nickel/bentonite powder was then alloyed with chromium
and aluminum i~ a manner as described in United States patent
No. 3,914,507 to form a NiCrAl compositlon of 92% nic~el,
5% chromium and 3% aluminum.
The NiCrAl/bentonite powder was then screened to
produce a powder product with the size distribution of its
particles in accordance with the invention, as follows:
MicronsMesh (Tyler) Wt %
> 150 +100 Trace
105-150 -100/+150 ]5.0
88-105 -150/+170 27.2
75- 88 -170/+200 19.0
363- 75 -200/+250 12.0
53- 63 -250/+270 14.8
45- 53 -270/+325 lO.0
6 45 325 2.0
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It will be noted that 61.2% of the particles are
greater in size than 75 microns (200 mesh).
Various abradable seal coatings were deposited on
the ends of mild steel cylinders (substrates) with a diameter
of one inch (2.54 cm) by flame spraying this powder with a
Metco 6P flame spray gun and a Metco type 3NP powder feed
u~it with the following process parameters:
Nozzle P7A-M
Oxygen
Flow, % 40 ~5
Pressure, psig (kPaG) 21 (145)
Acetylene
Flow, ~ 40-45
Pressure, psig (kPaG) 15(103.5)
Nitrogen (Carrier gas)
Flow, % 37
Pressure, psig (kPaG) 55 (
Powder feed wheel S
Powder feed rate, g/min 55
Cooling air nozzle 6P-3
Cooling air pressure, psig (kPaG) 30 (207)
Gun-to-Substrate distance, in (cm) 8.5 (21.6)
In each case, the substrate (cylinder) was station-
ary, the gun being traversed across the end of the cylinder
at a rate of 590 in/min (X direction~ and movement in the ~
direction being 0.25 in/pass. For different substrates, the
oxygen content and acetylene content was varied within the
indicated ranges to obtain different combinations of abrada-
bility and erosion resistance. The thickness of the coating
produced in each case was 0.08 inch.
The ultimate tensile strength of each coating was
measured by gluing the end of an uncoated cylinder to the
surface of the coating, and pulling the two cylinders apart
in a tensile machine until the coating fractured. This ulti-
mate tensile strength (UTS) test is used as an indication of
abradability, as is customary in the art. A lower UTS value
indicates better abradability.
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The erosion resistance of each coating was measured
by impinging a constant quantity of silica sand onto the coat-
ing for one minute, and the consequent weight loss was re-
corded to indicate the propensity for erosion in terms of
an erosion number.
The values of the erosion number and ultimate ten-
sile strength are indicated by the line marked 80/20(C) in
Figure 1, with the dotted line showing target values of
erosion number and ultimate tensile strength for abradable
seal coatings on turbine blades of a typical aircraft gas
turbine engine. It will be noted that such coatings can
readily be provided with erosion number and abradability
within the target values.
For comparison purposes, NiCrAl/bentonite powder
was produced in the same manner as described above, except
that the powder was screened to produce a powder product
with a particle size distribution in accordance with the
prior art, as follows:
Microns Mesh (Tyler) Wt(~)
20> lS0 +100 Trace
105-150 -100/+150 5.4
88-105 -150/+170 8.8
75- 88 -170/+200 17.8
63- 75 -200/+250 10.0
53- 63 -250/+270 24.6
45- 53 -~70/+325 22.8
~ 45 -325 10.6
It will be noted that 68% of the particles had
a size 1 _ than 75 microns.
Abradable seal coatings were then formed in the
same manner as described above, and their erosion number
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and ultimate tensile strength measured as before. The
results are shown in Figure 1 by the line marked 80/20(F),
and clearly shows that it was not possible to achieve the
target values of erosion resistance and abradability.
A number o~ abradable seal coatings were then
formed from NiCrAl/bentonite powder in accordance with the
invention and in the manner described above, and with the
NiCrAl alloy containing 5~ chromium and 3~ aluminum. For
comparison purposes, a further number of abradable seal
coatings were formed i~ the same way, except that the NiCrAl
alloy contained 16% chromium and 5% aluminum.
Abradable seal coatings of both kinds were main-
tained at a temperature of about 800C in air for a number
of hours, and the ultimate tensile strength of a coating of
each kind was measured from time to time in the manner pre-
viously ~escribed. The gain in ~eight of the seal coatings
was also measured, the ~ain in weight being an indication
of the amount of oxidation of the metallic content.
The results are shown in Figures 2 and 3. Fiyure
2 showq the increase in ultimate tensile strength of the
abradable seal coatinys over a 500 hour period. It will
be noted that the increase in ultimate tensile strength,
which represents decrease in abradability of the Ni5Cr3Al/
bentonite seal coating is much lower than that of the Nil6Cr5Al/
berltonite seal coating. Further, the increase in ultimate
tensile strength of the NiSCr3Al/bentonite seal coating
substantially ceases after about 200 hours, whereas the ulti-
mate tensile strength of the Nil6Cr5Al/bentonite seal coat-
ing continues to increase.
Also, the initial ultimate tensile strength of the
Ni5Cr3Al/bentonite seal coating is less than that of the
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ll~lSt:;9
Nil6Cr5A1/bentonite seal coating, and this is believed to be
due at least partly to a beneficial surface tension effect
of the chromium/aluminum composition in accordance with the
preferred feature of the present invention.
Figure 3 shows that the Ni5Cr3Al/hentonite seal
coating is in fact oxidized to a slightly greater extent
than the Nil6Cr5Al/bentonite seal coating. As indicated
earlier, it is believed that the smaller increase in
abradability with time of the Ni5Cr3Al/bentonite seal coat-
ing is due to the formation of weaker oxides than thoseproduced by the Nil6Cr5Al/bentonite seal coating.
Other ceramic materials, such as rhyolite, may
be used as the core material if desired.
Other embodiments within the scope of the invention
will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art,
the scope of the invention being defined in the appended
claims.
