Patent ID: 7390534

Claim:
A process of forming a diffusion coating on a component, the process comprising the steps of: mixing a particulate donor material containing a coating element, an activator dissolved in water, and a particulate filler to form an adhesive mixture having a formable, malleable consistency, wherein the adhesive mixture does not contain an extraneous binder and the donor material and the filler within the adhesive mixture are cohered solely by the dissolved activator; applying the adhesive mixture to at least one surface of the component; drying the adhesive mixture after the applying step to remove the water from the adhesive mixture and thereby form a solid pack adhering to the at least one surface of the component; and heating the component to a temperature sufficient to vaporize and react the activator with the coating element of the donor material to form a reactive vapor of the coating element, the reactive vapor reacting at the at least one surface of the component to form a diffusion coating containing the coating element.