Session BB6.4

9:30 AM BB6.4
PLASMA SPRAY FORMING OF STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS. Timothy McKechnie Plasma Processes Inc., Huntsville, AL.

Near net shape spray forming of components significantly simplifies and reduces the cost of fabricating some structures. Material utilization is very high, and laborious machining can be avoided. As spray formed components have been tested and found to perform adequately. However, improvements in alloying, thermal treatment and coating have been demonstrated to add increased performance to spray formed components. In fabricating tungsten components alloying additions of rhenium, nickel, or iron have made significant increases in material strength and ductility. Thermal treatments such as heat treatment and HIPing change and densify the microstructures. Coating the internal and external surfaces of spray formed components improves environmental compatibility. Functional gradients can be used to minimize thermal stress formed at bondlines between dissimilar materials. Plasma spray forming of superalloy, copper alloy, and refractory metal components is presented.