Standards, methods for making, and methods for using the standards in evaluation of oxide removal

Abstract

An article of manufacture forms a tool for determining cleaning parameters of an oxide removal process. The article comprises a block of material upon which an oxide can be formed and a simulated defect structure disposed in the block of material. The article is capable of determining oxide removal parameters of an oxide removal process by disposing an oxidized standard in a reactor, conducting an oxide removal process to remove oxide from the standard, and evaluating the standard and simulated defect structure for remaining oxide and other oxide removal parameters.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An article of manufacture comprising: 
 a block of material, the block being made of a material upon which an oxide can form; and    a defect structure disposed in the block of material, wherein an oxidized article is capable of being used to determine parameters of an oxide removal process by measuring oxide removal from the block and defect structure after the oxide removal process.    
     
     
         2 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the block of material comprises a nickel-, cobalt-, or iron-nickel-based superalloys, or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         3 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the block of material comprises a generally rectangular solid block of material.  
     
     
         4 . An article according to  claim 3 , wherein the defect structure comprises at least one slot disposed in the block of material.  
     
     
         5 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the defect structure comprises at least one slot that is disposed in faces of the block of material.  
     
     
         6 . An article according to  claim 5 , wherein the at least one slot comprising a thickness in a range from about 10 micrometers (μm) to about 1 millimeter (mm ) and a depth in a range from about 10 micrometers to about 10 millimeters.  
     
     
         7 . An article according to  claim 6 , wherein the at least one slot comprises slots on a plurality of faces of the block.  
     
     
         8 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the standard further comprises a notch disposed in the block of material.  
     
     
         9 . An article according to  claim 8 , wherein the notch comprises a “V” notch in the block of material.  
     
     
         10 . An article according to  claim 1 , wherein the slot comprising a constant thickness in a range from about 10 μm to about 2 mm and a depth in a range from about 10 micrometers to about 10 millimeters, the “V” notch and the slot being separated by a bridge of material.  
     
     
         11 . A tool for determining oxide removal parameters of an oxide removal process, the tool comprising: 
 a block of material, the block being formed of a material upon which an oxide can be formed; and    a defect structure disposed in the block of material, wherein an oxidized tool is capable of being used to determine parameters of an oxide removal process by measuring oxide removal from the block and defect structure after the oxide removal process.    
     
     
         12 . A tool according to  claim 11 , wherein the block of material comprises a nickel-, cobalt-, or iron-nickel-based superalloys, or combinations thereof  
     
     
         13 . A tool according to  claim 11 , wherein the block of material comprises a generally rectangular solid block of material.  
     
     
         14 . A tool according to  claim 11 , wherein the defect structure comprises at least one defect disposed in the generally rectangular solid block.  
     
     
         15 . A tool according to  claim 11 , wherein the defect structure comprises slots that are disposed in opposed faces of the generally defect solid block of material.  
     
     
         16 . A tool according to  claim 15 , wherein the at least one slot comprising a constant thickness in a range from about 10 micrometers (μm) to about 1 millimeter (mm) and a depth in a range from about 10 micrometers to about 10 millimeters.  
     
     
         17 . A tool according to  claim 16 , wherein the at least one slot comprises opposed slots, each opposed slots comprising a constant thickness in a range from about 10 micrometers (μm) to about 1 millimeter (mm).  
     
     
         18 . A tool according to  claim 11 , wherein the standard further comprises a notch in the block of material.  
     
     
         19 . An article according to  claim 11 , wherein the notch comprises a “V” notch in the block of material.  
     
     
         20 . A tool according to  claim 19 , wherein the “V” notch and the at least one slot are separated by a bridge of material.  
     
     
         21 . A tool according to  claim 11 , wherein defect structure comprises an oxide-filled, crack-like defect, and the oxide removal parameters comprise at least one of: 
 depth of oxide removal in the crack-like defect and the surfaces of the generally rectangular solid block of material, braze repair capability, depth of braze filing, and alloying element depletion at the crack-like defect and surfaces of the block of material.    
     
     
         22 . A tool according to  claim 21 , wherein the oxide removal process parameters are determined by an evaluation comprising at least one of: 
 optical inspection, brazing evaluation, weight loss measurement, electrical resistivity measurement, and wetability evaluation.    
     
     
         23 . A tool according to  claim 11 , wherein the tool determine benchmarks for the oxide removal process.  
     
     
         24 . A tool according to  claim 23 , wherein the benchmarks comprise at least one of: 
 oxide removal amounts as a function of process time; oxide removal amounts as a function of reactor temperature; oxide removal as a function of reactor design and loading configuration; alloying element depletion of the block of material; alloying element depletion of the block of material as a function the oxide removal process; efficiency of the individual reactor; oxide removal as a function of the process run, and oxide removal as a function of previous oxide removal processes.    
     
     
         25 . A process of determining oxide removal status, the process comprising: 
 disposing an oxidized standard in a reactor, the reactor capable of implementing an oxide removal process, the oxidized standard comprising a block of material, the block being formed of a material upon which the oxide is formed and a defect structure disposed in the block of material;    conducting an oxide removal process; and    evaluating the standard for at least one of oxide removal amounts as a function of process time; oxide removal amounts as a function of reactor temperature; oxide removal as a function of reactor design and loading configuration; alloying element depletion of the block of material; alloying element depletion of the block of material as a function the oxide removal process; efficiency of the individual reactor; oxide removal as a function of the process run, and oxide removal as a function of previous oxide removal processes.    
     
     
         26 . A process according to  claim 25 , wherein the slot structure comprises a simulated crack-like defect and the step of evaluating comprises exposing the simulated crack-like defect.  
     
     
         27 . A process according to  claim 26 , wherein the standard comprises the simulated crack-like defect and a notch opposed to the simulated crack-like defect, the step of exposing the simulated crack-like defect comprises: 
 compressing the standard at the notch to expose surfaces of the simulated crack-like defect.    
     
     
         28 . A process according to  claim 25 , wherein the step of evaluating comprises: 
 exposing the simulated crack-like defect by metallographically sectioning the standard and splitting the standard at a simulated crack-like defect.    
     
     
         29 . A process according to  claim 25 , wherein the step of evaluating comprises: 
 evaluating by optical inspecting, brazing capability determination, electrical resistivity measuring, weight loss measuring, and wetability evaluating.    
     
     
         30 . A process according to  claim 25 , wherein the process of determining oxide removal status further comprises determining at least one of: 
 oxide removal amounts as a function of process time; oxide removal amounts as a function of reactor temperature; oxide removal as a function of reactor design and loading configuration; alloying element depletion of the block of material; alloying element depletion of the block of material as a function the oxide removal process; efficiency of the individual reactor; oxide removal as a function of the process run, and oxide removal as a function of previous oxide removal processes.    
     
     
         31 . A process for forming an oxide removal process evaluation standard, the standard comprising a block of material, the block being formed of a material upon which an oxide can be formed; and a simulated defect structure disposed in the block of material, wherein the standard is capable of determining oxide removal process status, the process comprising: 
 machining the simulated defect structure in the block of material; and    exposing the block of material to a thermal treatment to form an oxide on the block of material and on surfaces of the simulated defect structure.    
     
     
         32 . A process according to  claim 31 , wherein the step of exposing the block of material to a thermal treatment comprises controllably exposing the block of material to a high-temperature, oxidizing thermal environment for time period to form oxides on the block and filling the simulated defect structure.  
     
     
         33 . A process according to  claim 31 , further comprising compressing the simulated defect structure to form a simulated crack-like defect after the step of machining the simulated defect structure.