Reactive materials and thermal spray methods of making same

• US 20050100756A1
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Buchta W. Mark, Michael A. Riley, Timothy Langan
• Original Assignee: Buchta W. Mark, Michael A. Riley, Timothy Langan
• Inventors: Langan, Timothy, Buchta, W. Mark, Riley, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,499,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/617
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 24/04 Impact or kinetic deposition of particles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/042 including a refractory ceramic layer, e.g. refractory metal oxides, ZrO2, rare earth oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 28/42 characterized by the composition of the alternating layers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/04 characterised by the coating material
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/12 characterised by the method of spraying
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 1/032 characterised by the material of the liner
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12507 More than two components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12562 Elastomer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12569 Synthetic resin

Abstract

The present invention relates to reactive materials formed by thermal spray techniques. The thermally sprayed reactive materials have low porosity and high structural integrity. The reactive materials are useful for applications such as shaped charges, thermite welding, near net shaped components and the like.

Claims

1. A method of making a reactive material, the method comprising thermally spraying reactive components of the reactive material onto a substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermal spray process comprises flame spraying, plasma arc spraying, electric arc spraying, high velocity oxy-fuel deposition, cold spraying, detonation gun deposition or super detonation gun deposition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactive components are thermally sprayed onto the substrate at the same time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the reactive components are thermally sprayed onto the substrate from different thermal spray guns.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the reactive components are thermally sprayed onto the substrate from a single thermal spray gun.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactive components are thermally sprayed onto the substrate sequentially.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reactive components are sprayed onto the substrate from different thermal spray guns.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the reactive material from the substrate.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the substrate comprises a mandrel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mandrel is rotated during the thermal spraying.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is cooled during the thermal spraying.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the cooling is achieved by a cooling fluid.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cooling fluid is directed against a surface of the substrate upon which the reactive components are thermally sprayed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the cooling fluid is directed against a back surface of the substrate opposite from a surface of the substrate upon which the reactive components are thermally sprayed.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the cooling fluid comprises a gas.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the reactive components comprises at least one element selected from Ni, Ti, Nb, V, Ta, W, Hf, U and Si, and another one of the reactive components comprises at least one element selected from Al, Mg, Ni, C and B.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the reactive components comprises at least one metal oxide selected from Fe_xO_y, Ni_xO_y, Ta_xO_y, TiO₂, CuO_x, WO_x, Al₂O₃, and another one of the reactive components comprises at least one material selected from Al, Mg, Ni and B₄C.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the reactive components comprises Ni and another one of the components comprises Al.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactive components comprise different metals provided in selected amounts to form an intermetallic comprising the metals upon exothermic reaction of the reactive metal components.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the intermetallic comprises nickel aluminide and/or titanium aluminide.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermally sprayed reactive components are deposited on the substrate at a rate of at least 0.01 mm per hour.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermally sprayed reactive components are deposited on the substrate at a rate of at least 0.1 mm per hour.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermally sprayed reactive components are deposited on the substrate at a rate of at least 1 mm per hour.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the reactive components are intermixed within the reactive material.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactive components comprise different layers in the reactive material.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein each of the layers has a thickness of from about 1 micron to about 5 mm.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the layers of reactive components are directly adjacent each other.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the layers of reactive components are separated from each other.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the layers of reactive components are separated by at least one layer of inert material.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the inert material comprises Al₂O₃ and/or SiO.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactive material has a porosity of less than about 10 volume percent.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactive material has a porosity of less than about 5 volume percent.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactive material has a porosity of less than about 2 volume percent.

34. A reactive material comprising thermally sprayed reactive components.

35. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein one of the reactive components comprises at least one element selected from Ni, Ti, Nb, V, Ta, W, Hf, U and Si, and another one of the reactive components comprises at least one element selected from Al, Mg, Ni, C and B.

36. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein one of the reactive components comprises Ni and another one of the components comprises Al.

37. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the reactive components comprise different metals provided in selected amounts to form an intermetallic comprising the metals upon exothermic reaction of the reactive metal components.

38. The reactive material of claim 37, wherein the intermetallic comprises nickel aluminide and/or titanium aluminide.

39. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the reactive components are intermixed within the reactive material.

40. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the reactive components comprise different layers in the reactive material.

41. The reactive material of claim 40, wherein each of the layers has a thickness of from about 1 micron to about 5 mm.

42. The reactive material of claim 40, wherein the layers of reactive components are directly adjacent to each other.

43. The reactive material of claim 40, wherein the layers of reactive components are separated from each other.

44. The reactive material of claim 43, wherein the layers of reactive components are separated by at least one layer of inert material.

45. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the reactive material has a porosity of less than about 10 volume percent.

46. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the reactive material has a porosity of less than about 5 volume percent.

47. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the reactive material has a porosity of less than about 2 volume percent.

48. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the reactive material has a tensile yield strength of at least 5 ksi.

49. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the reactive material has a tensile yield strength of at least 10 ksi.

50. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the reactive material has a tensile yield strength of at least 15 ksi.

51. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the material is at least partially coated with a fire retardant layer comprising a ceramic.

52. The reactive material of claim 34, wherein the material is at least partially coated with at least one layer of a substantially non-reactive mechanically shock resistant rubber or polymer.