Patent ID: 6491207
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: B23K,B23P

Abstract:
A method for repairing a directionally solidified article, comprising the steps of:furnishing a directionally solidified article comprising a base material having a solidus temperature and having a repair region with a grain structure of grains elongated substantially parallel to a solidification direction, the repair region including a defect that is elongated parallel to the solidification direction; heating the article to a repair temperature of from about 60 to about 98 percent of the solidus temperature of the base material in an atmosphere of a protective gas that inhibits oxidation of the base material; filling the defect with a filler metal while maintaining the article at the repair temperature, the step of filling including the steps of providing a source of a filler metal of substantially the same composition as the base material of the directionally solidified article, and melting the filler metal into the defect progressively while moving the source of the filler metal relative to the article in a direction parallel to the solidification direction; and artificially extracting heat from the article in a heat-flow direction that is within about 45 degrees of the solidification direction, so that the filler metal solidifies within the defect, wherein the step of artificially extracting is performed simultaneously with the step of melting the filler metal.