METHOD, DEVICE AND POWDER FOR THE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF A COMPONENT WITH OXIDE DISPERSION STRENGTHENING AND CORRESPONDING COMPONENT

Abstract

A method for the additive manufacturing of a component includes providing a powdered base material for a component, in particular a component for the hot gas path of a gas turbine, building up the component layer by layer on a building platform by fusing individual layers of the base material, and introducing an oxide dispersion strengthening into a region of the component to be additively manufactured by an oxidic additive, wherein the region is usually exposed to high thermomechanical loading during operation of the component.

Claims

1. A process for additive manufacture of a component, comprising: providing a pulverulent base material for the component, layerwise building up of the component on a building platform by solidification of individual layers of the base material, and introducing oxidic dispersion strengthening into a region of the additively manufactured component by an oxidic additive, where the region is usually subjected to high thermomechanical stress during operation of the component.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base material comprises one of the following materials: PWA795, Mer172, MAR-509, Stellite-31, Hastelloy X, Haynes 230, Haynes 625, IN939, IN738, IN713, IN792, IN718, Alloy 247 and Rene 80.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component is a turbine blade and the region describes a surface region of the turbine blade, and/or a trailing edge of the turbine blade.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the introducing of the oxidic dispersion strengthening is carried out layerwise, by the component being built up at least partially layerwise alternately from the base material and a mixture of the base material and the oxidic additive for formation of the oxidic dispersion strengthening.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the region is a surface region and a subregion of the component located underneath or in an interior is firstly built up from the base material and the region is subsequently built up from a mixture of the base material and the oxidic additive for formation of the oxidic dispersion strengthening.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: preventing excessive agglomeration or flotation of the oxidic additive during the layerwise building up of the component by shortened energy inputs and/or increased cooling rates.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: layerwise forming of oriented recrystallization along a longitudinal axis of the region, by renewed remelting of a previously solidified component layer and/or by means of a thermal treatment.

8. A component which can be produced or has been produced by the process as claimed in claim 1, comprising: an oxide dispersion strengthened region and a further region composed of a weldable nickel- or cobalt-based superalloy.

9. The component as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a single-crystal or directionally solidified or columnar grain or crystal structure having a grain aspect ratio of at least 10:1 along a longitudinal axis, and/or of a trailing edge, of the oxide dispersion strengthened region.

10. A powder for additive manufacture, and/or for selective laser melting, comprising: a pulverulent base material composed of a nickel- or cobalt-based superalloy and an oxidic additive which is present, in the base material and is suitable for forming oxidic dispersion strengthening in the region of the component during additive manufacture by the process as claimed in claim 1.

11. The powder as claimed in claim 10, wherein the oxidic additive comprises yttrium oxide or hafnium oxide as nanoparticles in a concentration in the range from 0.5 to 2 percent by volume (% by volume).

12. The powder as claimed in claim 10, wherein the oxidic additive comprises hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti) or elements from the group of the lanthanides as oxide formers.

13. An apparatus for the additive manufacture of a component by the process as claimed in claim 1, comprising: first means for applying a first pulverulent material, and second means for applying a second pulverulent material which is different from the first material, wherein the apparatus is additionally configured for preventing mixing of the first material and the second material in corresponding stock vessels for the materials before the layerwise building up of the component.

14. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component comprises a component for a hot gas path of a gas turbine.

15. The powder as claimed in claim 10, wherein the oxidic additive is homogeneously distributed.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first pulverulent material comprises the base material, and wherein the second pulverulent material comprises the oxidic additive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] Further details of the invention will be described below with the aid of the figures.

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a schematic flow diagram with process steps according to the invention.

[0052] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of an apparatus or an additive manufacturing plant.

[0053] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional view analogous to FIG. 2, in which a component is additively built up according to an embodiment which is alternative to FIG. 2.

[0054] FIG. 4 shows a schematic side view of a turbine blade having a detailed enlarged region (at right).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

[0055] In the working examples and figures, identical elements or elements having the same effect can in each case be denoted by the same reference symbols. The elements depicted and their relative sizes are in principle not to be considered to be true to scale; rather, individual elements can be depicted with exaggerated thickness or large dimensions in the interest of better presentation and/or to give a better understanding.

[0056] FIG. 1 indicates process steps according to the invention with the aid of a schematic flow diagram. The process is suitable for the additive manufacture of a component, in particular a component which is used in the hot gas path of a gas turbine.

[0057] The process comprises the provision a) of a pulverulent base material P1 for the component 10, which will be described in more detail below with the aid of FIG. 2.

[0058] The process further comprises the layerwise buildup b) of the component 10 on a building platform 1 by solidification of individual layers S of the base material P1. This process step is likewise described in more detail by FIG. 2 (see below).

[0059] The process further comprises introduction of oxidic dispersion strengthening c) into a region B of the additively manufactured component 10 by means of an oxidic additive, where the region B is usually subjected to high thermomechanical stress during operation of the component 10.

[0060] Furthermore, the component 10 can be a rotor blade or guide vane or an airfoil thereof, a segment or ring segment, a burner part of a burner tip, a frame, a shield, a nozzle, seal, a filter, an opening or lance, a resonator, stamp or a swirler, or a corresponding transition, insert or a corresponding retrofitted part.

[0061] FIG. 2 indicates, with the aid of a schematic sectional view, an apparatus 100 for producing the component 10. Process steps according to the invention are likewise illustrated. The apparatus 100 comprises a building platform 1. Above the building platform 1, a powder bed in which the component 10, in particular a turbine blade, is arranged and has already been partially solidified or built up in the course of the additive manufacture thereof is arranged in a construction space (not explicitly labeled). In particular, it is indicated that a layer S for a blade airfoil of the component 10 is selectively solidified by means of an irradiation device 20 which can, for example, comprise a laser beam source or electron beam source. After successful selective solidification, the building platform 1 is usually lowered by a distance corresponding to the layer thickness S and a fresh powder layer is applied, for example by means of the coating device 30 shown.

[0062] The apparatus 100 comprises a first means M1 for applying a first pulverulent material P1. The means M1 advantageously designates a (stock) vessel for a base material, in particular a first powder P1, and a coating device 30 by means of which the powder P1 can be conveyed into the construction space (layerwise).

[0063] The apparatus further comprises a second means M2 for applying a second pulverulent material P2 which is different from the first material. The means M2 advantageously likewise designates a (stock) vessel in which a second powder P2, in particular comprising or being an oxidic additive for forming the oxidic dispersion strengthening, is arranged, and also a corresponding coating device 30.

[0064] In a manner analogous to the first means M1, the coating device 30 can advantageously convey a particular dosage of the powder P2 into the construction space, so that, for example, a mixture of the first powder P1 and the second powder P2 can be employed for the additive manufacture of the component 10. Said mixture, containing the first powder P1 and the second powder P2, is advantageously a (hybrid) powder which in the following is denoted by the reference symbol P.

[0065] The apparatus 100 is also configured so that mixing of the first material P1 and the second material P2 in corresponding stock vessels for the materials P1 and P2 before the additive buildup of the component 10 and advantageously outside the construction space (cf. middle section of FIG. 1) is prevented.

[0066] The first powder P1 advantageously represents a base material or main constituent for the component 10. This base material can, in particular, contain one or more of the following materials: PWA795, Mer172, MAR-509, Stellite-31, Hastelloy X, Haynes 230, Haynes 625, IN939, IN738, IN713, IN792, IN718, Alloy 247, Rene 80 or other nickel- or cobalt-based superalloys.

[0067] The second powder P2 advantageously likewise comprises a base material such as PWA795, Mer172, MAR-509, Stellite-31, Hastelloy X, Haynes 230, Haynes 625, IN939, IN738, IN713, IN792, IN718, Alloy 247 or Rene 80. The second powder P2 can advantageously further comprise an oxidic additive (cf. ODS) and is suitable for forming oxidic dispersion strengthening (oxide dispersion strengthening or ODS) in a region B of the component 10 during the additive manufacture of the component 10. The second powder P2 can, for example, contain from 0.5 to 2 percent by volume of the additive ODS.

[0068] The second powder P2 or the additive ODS can comprise hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti) or elements from the group of the lanthanides as oxide formers.

[0069] In one embodiment, the additive comprises yttrium oxide, advantageously Y.sub.2O.sub.3, or hafnium oxide, advantageously HfO.sub.2, as nanoparticles in a concentration in the range from 0.5 to 2 percent by volume.

[0070] In a further embodiment, the additive comprises yttrium oxide, advantageously Y.sub.2O.sub.3, and hafnium oxide, advantageously HfO.sub.2, as nanoparticles in a concentration in the range from 0.5 to 2 percent by volume.

[0071] In a further embodiment, the additive comprises aluminum (Al), barium (Ba), potassium (K), strontium (Sr) or niobium (Nb) or elements from the group of the lanthanides as oxide formers.

[0072] Differently from what is shown in FIG. 2, the stock vessel (at right) which keeps the second powder P2 in stock can be made smaller than that which keeps the first powder P1 in stock.

[0073] The second powder P2 or the additive ODS can also be present in an inert matrix or in a carrier in the corresponding stock vessel, so that the required concentration in the powder P can more easily be set.

[0074] The (hybrid) powder P, containing the above-described first powder P1 and second powder P2, is advantageously provided and suitable for additive manufacture, in particular selective laser melting or electron beam melting. This can mean that it is particularly suitable in terms of its particle size distribution and particle shape, for example spherical, for the selective melting processes.

[0075] In a further embodiment, the additive is present in the powder in amounts which result in a concentration of the additive of from 0.1 to 5 percent by volume in the powder.

[0076] Furthermore, although the second powder P2 is present in a significantly lower concentration in the first powder P1 or powder P, it can nevertheless advantageously be distributed approximately homogeneously in this. This can, for example, be made possible by layers S having a thickness of only from 20 to 40 μm of the first powder P1 and of the second powder P2 for strengthening of the region B being applied alternately during the additive buildup of the component 10 and subsequently being irradiated and solidified. Accordingly, the introduction of the reinforcement can be carried out layerwise, as already indicated above with the aid of FIG. 2.

[0077] In order to prevent excessive agglomeration or flotation of the second powder P2 or of the oxidic additive ODS in the first powder or the base material during the additive buildup of the component 10 during the course of the inventive process described, it is possible to use shortened energy inputs and/or increased cooling rates compared to a standard process, so that the strengthening is introduced very advantageously and homogeneously.

[0078] Furthermore, layerwise recrystallization, for example of a previously solidified/built up component layer S, can be effected during the course of the process of the invention (cf. FIG. 4 below). This is made possible according to the invention by, for example, a previous structurally present component layer being remelted by means of an energy beam using the irradiation device 20 and/or, for example, being thermally treated by means of recrystallization heat treatment along a longitudinal axis LA (cf. FIG. 4) of the region B, which can correspond to a buildup direction (cf. for example, the vertically ascending direction in FIG. 2). This process differs, for example, from a static heat treatment in that a heat source is conveyed in a targeted manner through the component or around the component, so that a “hot zone” effectively moves through the component. A particularly high grain aspect ratio in the crystal structure of the region B can advantageously be formed by the recrystallization described.

[0079] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the above-described process with the aid of a schematic sectional view of the apparatus 100. In contrast to FIG. 2, which shows an apparatus 100 having separate stocking of the first powder P1 and of the second powder P2, the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 can be a conventional apparatus.

[0080] The component 10 is advantageously a guide vane of a turbine.

[0081] The component 10 advantageously has not only the region B provided with the oxidic dispersion strengthening but also a conventional region in which no oxidic dispersion strengthening has been introduced by the process described but which is instead a conventional region which has, for example, been built up additively only from the base material (cf. first powder P1).

[0082] Furthermore, as a difference from FIG. 2, the component 10 has been arranged, for example, rotated about its longitudinal axis LA by 90° in the powder bed. This arrangement makes it possible firstly to build up the component 10 or the region from only the base material (cf. first powder P1) and subsequently place it in the apparatus 100 again and fill the latter with the second powder P2 in order to provide localized surface regions of the component 10 with the oxidic dispersion strengthening or introduce the latter.

[0083] The abovementioned areas or regions are advantageously regions which are particularly highly stressed thermally and/or mechanically and have to be structurally strengthened for operation of the component. Accordingly, the region B of the component 10 can be a surface region, with a subregion B′ of the component 10 being located further underneath or in the interior and supporting the region B.

[0084] FIG. 4 schematically shows a component 10 which can be produced or has been produced by the process described. The component 10 is, in contrast to that of FIG. 3, a rotor blade of a turbine. The component 10 accordingly has (as described) the oxide dispersion strengthened region B and the further region B′, advantageously composed of a (readily) weldable nickel- or cobalt-based superalloy (see above). The two regions are part of a blade airfoil of the component 10. However, it can in particular situations also be advantageous to provide, for example, a blade foot (not explicitly indicated) of the turbine blade shown or quite different components provided in the hot gas path of turbines or other machines with the dispersion strengthening.

[0085] It can also be seen in FIG. 4 that the strengthened region B has been provided at a leading edge (at left), a trailing edge (at right) and at a blade airfoil tip (cf. upper region of the component 10 in FIG. 4) by introduction of the dispersion strengthening.

[0086] It can also be seen in FIG. 4 that the region B of the component 10 has a single-crystal SX and/or directionally solidified DS or rod-like crystalline or columnar grain or crystal structure. A corresponding grain aspect ratio of the directionally solidified rods, grains or crystallites is advantageously 10:1 or more, for example along a longitudinal axis LA of the oxide dispersion strengthened region B. Said grain aspect ratio is, as described above, advantageously formed by a recrystallization being carried out layerwise so that the corresponding rods or grains extend over a plurality of component layers, for example over lengths of 100-200 μm or more, while grain dimensions or particle dimensions of individual grains of the base material are significantly smaller, for example in the diameter range from 20 to 40 μm.

[0087] The invention is not restricted to the description of the working examples but instead encompasses each novel feature and any combination of features. This includes, in particular, any combination of features in the claims, even when this feature or this combination is itself not explicitly indicated in the claims or working examples.