High strength rhenium alloys and high temperature components made from such alloys

Abstract

A refractory alloy that includes rhenium as the most abundant alloy component by atomic percent includes tungsten, and at least one element having a higher oxygen affinity than rhenium and having a melting temperature of at least 1650° C. One exemplary alloy includes at least 90% rhenium by atomic percent, about 0.25% to about 4% tungsten by atomic percent, and about 0.25% to about 2% tantalum by atomic percent.

1 . A refractory alloy, comprising: 
 rhenium as the most abundant alloy component by atomic percent;    tungsten; and    at least one element having a higher oxygen affinity than rhenium and having a melting temperature of at least 1650° C.    
   
   
       2 . The refractory alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one element having a higher oxygen affinity than rhenium includes at least tantalum.  
   
   
       3 . The refractory alloy of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one additional element having a higher oxygen affinity than rhenium, the at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of hafnium, chromium, nickel, aluminum, and rare earth metals.  
   
   
       4 . The refractory alloy of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one additional element having a higher oxygen affinity than rhenium includes hafnium.  
   
   
       5 . The refractory alloy of  claim 4 , comprising hafnium at a concentration of between about 0.25% and about 2% by atomic percent.  
   
   
       6 . The refractory alloy of  claim 2 , comprising tantalum at a concentration ranging between about 0.25% and less than 50% by atomic percent.  
   
   
       7 . The refractory alloy of  claim 6 , comprising tantalum at a concentration ranging between about 0.25% and about 2% by atomic percent.  
   
   
       8 . The refractory alloy of  claim 1 , comprising tungsten at a concentration ranging between about 0.25% and less than 50% by atomic percent.  
   
   
       9 . The refractory alloy of  claim 8 , comprising tungsten at a concentration ranging between about 1% and about 4% by atomic percent.  
   
   
       10 . The refractory alloy of  claim 8 , comprising rhenium at a concentration of at least 50% by atomic percent.  
   
   
       11 . The refractory alloy of  claim 10 , comprising rhenium at a concentration of at least 95% by atomic percent.  
   
   
       12 . The refractory alloy of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one element having a higher oxygen affinity than rhenium has a melting temperature of at least 2200° C.  
   
   
       13 . The refractory alloy of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 at least 90% rhenium by atomic percent;    about 0.25% to about 4% tungsten by atomic percent; and    about 0.25% to about 2% tantalum by atomic percent.    
   
   
       14 . The refractory alloy of  claim 13 , further comprising at least one additional element having a higher oxygen affinity than rhenium, the at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of hafnium, chromium, nickel, aluminum, and rare earth metals.  
   
   
       15 . The refractory alloy of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one additional element having a higher oxygen affinity than rhenium includes hafnium.  
   
   
       16 . The refractory alloy of  claim 15 , comprising hafnium at a concentration of between about 0.25% and about 2% by atomic percent.  
   
   
       17 . The refractory alloy of  claim 13 , comprising rhenium at least 95% rhenium by atomic percent.  
   
   
       18 . A method of manufacturing a refractory metal alloy component, the method comprising: 
 mixing a powder blend comprising rhenium, tungsten, and at least one element having a higher oxygen affinity than rhenium and having a melting temperature of at least 1650° C., to form a mixture having rhenium as the most abundant mixture component by atomic percent;    compressing the mixture to form a green component;    sintering the green component;    cold compressing the green component; and    annealing the green component to form the refractory metal alloy.    
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the powder blend comprises: 
 at least 90% rhenium by atomic percent;    about 0.25% to about 4% tungsten by atomic percent; and    about 0.25% to about 2% tantalum by atomic percent.    
   
   
       20 . A solid free form fabrication method of manufacturing a refractory metal alloy component, the method comprising: 
 determining cross-sectional shapes for successive parallel component layers; and    building the component by iteratively forming the cross-sectional shapes upon one another in a continuous layer-by-layer formation from a refractory metal alloy comprising rhenium, tungsten, and at least one element having a higher oxygen affinity than rhenium and having a melting temperature of at least 1650° C., with rhenium being the most abundant refractory metal alloy component by atomic percent