Multi-component alloy products and the methods of making thereof

Abstract

Various embodiments of multi-component products are provided herein, with specific reference to methods of making the same. In some embodiments, the present invention is a method that includes feeding a heated gas to a powder feeder containing a powder having an element, spraying the powder from the powder feeder through a nozzle onto a surface of a substrate at a sufficient velocity to form a multi-component deposit on the substrate, and directing an energy beam from an energy source at the multi-component deposit to heat the multi-component deposit until the multi-component deposit is fixed to the substrate thereby forming a multi-component alloy coating on the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 (a) feeding a heated gas to a powder feeder;
 wherein the powder feeder comprises a powder; 
 wherein the powder comprises an element; 
   (b) spraying the powder from the powder feeder through a nozzle onto a surface of a substrate at a sufficient velocity to form a multi-component deposit on the substrate; and   (c) directing an energy beam from an energy source at the multi-component deposit to heat the multi-component deposit until the multi-component deposit is fixed to the substrate, thereby forming a multi-component alloy coating on the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
 (a) feeding the heated gas to a plurality of powder feeders.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of powder feeders comprises a powder of an element. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of powder feeders comprises a powder of a plurality of elements. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sufficient velocity of the powder is 100 m/s to 1,000 m/s. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is an aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a multi-component alloy. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising spraying a plurality of powders through one nozzle onto a surface of the substrate;
 wherein the plurality of powders comprise elements of a multi-component alloy.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising directing the energy beam from the energy source at the substrate to heat the substrate below a solidus temperature of the substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising spraying a plurality of powders through a plurality of nozzles; wherein, during the spraying step, a first nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is closed and a second nozzle of the plurality of nozzles is open. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating steps (a) to (c) to form a plurality of multi-component alloy coatings on the substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of powder feeders comprises a powder of silver-containing material. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising spraying the powder of silver onto the substrate to form a deposit comprising silver-containing material. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising directing the energy beam from the energy source at the deposit comprising silver-containing material to form a coating comprising silver-containing material; wherein the coating comprising silver-containing material comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion are not adjacent to each other. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first portion or the second portion comprises silver in a sufficient amount to improve an antimicrobial property of the substrate compared to an uncoated substrate. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 (a) feeding a heated gas to a plurality of powder feeders;   wherein each of the powder feeders comprises a powder of an element;   (b) spraying the powders from the powder feeders to a mixing chamber to form a multi-component mixture;   (c) spraying the multi-component mixture through a nozzle onto a surface of a substrate at a sufficient velocity to form a multi-component deposit on the substrate; and   (d) directing an energy beam from an energy source at the multi-component deposit to heat the multi-component deposit until the multi-component deposit is fixed to the substrate, thereby forming a multi-component alloy coating on the substrate.   
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 (a) a spraying device configured to spray a powder of an element onto a substrate;   (b) a nozzle;   (c) a powder feeder;   (d) a gas supply;   (e) a gas heater; and   (f) an energy source configured to direct an energy beam at the powder so as to form a multi-component alloy coating on the substrate.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of nozzles. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the nozzle comprises at least one of a converging section or a diverging section. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising a plurality of energy sources; wherein at least one of the plurality of energy sources is configured for heating the substrate to a temperature below the solidus temperature of the substrate.