Tube mill with in-line braze coating spray process

Abstract

A process and apparatus for continuously forming and coating a tube with a braze alloy. The apparatus includes a device for continuously delivering tubing material to a device that forms a continuous tube from the tubing material, a device for preheating the tube, a device for depositing the braze alloy on the tube, a device for cooling the tube and the braze alloy layer before the surface of the braze alloy layer oxidizes, and optionally a device for sizing the tube. The deposition device includes an enclosure and at least one thermal spray gun that receives a metallic material from the source, heats the metallic material, and deposits the metallic material through an inert gas to form a layer of the braze alloy on the surface of the tube as the tube continuously travels through the enclosure.

1 . An apparatus for continuously forming and coating a tube with a braze alloy, the apparatus comprising; 
 means for continuously delivering tubing material;    means for forming a continuous tube from the tubing material downstream of the delivering means;    a source containing a metallic material whose bulk composition is essentially the composition of the braze alloy;    means for preheating the tube to a temperature of at least 65° C.;    means for depositing the braze alloy on a surface of the tube after the tube is heated by the preheating means, the depositing means comprising an enclosure, at least one thermal spray gun that receives the metallic material from the source, heats the metallic material, and deposits the metallic material to form a layer of the braze alloy on the surface of the tube as the tube continuously travels through the enclosure, and an inert gas through which the metallic material travels from the thermal spray gun to the surface of the tube; and    means for cooling the tube and the braze alloy layer as the tube travels downstream from the depositing means and before the surface of the braze alloy layer oxidizes.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the depositing means comprises at least two thermal spray guns, the two thermal spray guns depositing layers of the braze alloy on opposite surfaces of the tube.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the braze alloy consists essentially of copper, tin, phosphorous, and at least 1 weight percent nickel.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermal spray gun is an arc spray gun, and the metallic material is at least one wire.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising means for delivering the inert gas to the arc spray gun as a carrier gas for the metallic material.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the braze alloy consists essentially of, by weight, about 6% to about 7% tin, about 1% to about 2.5% nickel, and about 6% to about 7% phosphorus, with the balance being copper and incidental impurities.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermal spray gun is a plasma spray gun, and the metallic material is a powder.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the braze alloy consists of, by weight, about 74.9% to about 79.4% copper, about 9.0% to about 15.6% tin, about 4.2% to about 5.4% nickel, about 5.3% to about 6.2% phosphorus, and incidental impurities.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the metallic material is deposited on the surface of the tube at a rate of at least 150 grams/m 2 .  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for roughening the surface of the tube upstream of the depositing means.  
   
   
       11 . A process for continuously forming and coating an tube with a braze alloy, the process comprising the steps of; 
 continuously forming a tubing material to form a continuously moving tube;    preheating the moving tube to a temperature of at least 65° C.;    depositing the braze alloy on a surface of the moving tube after the moving tube is preheated, the depositing step comprising the steps of: 
 causing the moving tube to pass through an enclosure; and  
 employing at least one thermal spray gun to heat a metallic material whose bulk composition is essentially the composition of the braze alloy, and then deposit the metallic material through an inert gas as the metallic material travels from the thermal spray gun to the surface of the moving tube to form a layer of the braze alloy on the surface of the moving tube as the moving tube passes through the enclosure; and then  
   cooling the moving tube and the braze alloy layer as the moving tube travels away from the at least one thermal spray gun and before the surface of the braze alloy layer oxidizes.    
   
   
       12 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein the depositing step employs at least two thermal spray guns to deposit layers of the braze alloy on opposite surfaces of the tube.  
   
   
       13 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein the braze alloy consists essentially of copper, tin, phosphorous, and at least 1 weight percent nickel.  
   
   
       14 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein the at least one thermal spray gun is an arc spray gun, and the metallic material is at least one wire fed into the arc spray gun.  
   
   
       15 . The process according to  claim 14 , further comprising the step of delivering the inert gas to the arc spray gun as a carrier gas for the metallic material.  
   
   
       16 . The process according to  claim 14 , wherein the braze alloy consists essentially of, by weight, about 6% to about 7% tin, about 1% to about 2.5% nickel, and about 6% to about 7% phosphorus, with the balance being copper and incidental impurities.  
   
   
       17 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein the at least one thermal spray gun is a plasma spray gun, and the metallic material is a powder.  
   
   
       18 . The process according to  claim 17 , wherein the braze alloy consists of, by weight, about 74.9% to about 79.4% copper, about 9.0% to about 15.6% tin, about 4.2% to about 5.4% nickel, about 5.3% to about 6.2% phosphorus, and incidental impurities.  
   
   
       19 . The process according to  claim 11 , wherein the metallic material is deposited on the surface of the tube at a rate of at least 150 grams/m 2 .  
   
   
       20 . The process according to  claim 11 , further comprising the step of roughening the surface of the tube before the depositing step.