Method for the production of a part having improved weldability and/or mechanical processability from an alloy

Abstract

Alloys known in prior art cannot be processed well enough for producing a part. According to the inventive method, the part is subjected to a thermal treatment in an intermediate step, which improves the processability thereof.

1 - 25 . (canceled)  
     
     
         26 . A process for producing a component from an alloy that can be hardened by precipitations, comprising: 
 providing the component prior to machining or welding; and    carrying out, in an intermediate step, an improvement heat treatment on the component such that the improvement heat treatment coarsens the precipitations, thereby improving the welding and/or machineability of the component, and the improvement heat treatment at least in part being carried out during slow cooling at a cooling rate of 2° to 3° C./min.    
     
     
         27 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein an overaging heat treatment is carried out as the improvement heat treatment on the component in order to coarsen the precipitations.  
     
     
         28 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein a further heat treatment is carried out after the welding and/or machining, so that the microstructure that is set in this way for the areas of use of the component has better properties than without this heat treatment.  
     
     
         29 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein a subsequent heat treatment, which at least partially reverses the coarsening of the precipitations, is carried out after the welding and/or machining.  
     
     
         30 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein to produce the component, the component is cast from a melt of the alloy.  
     
     
         31 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the component is re-densified.  
     
     
         32 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the component is re-densified prior to the improvement heat treatment.  
     
     
         33 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the component is heated up to a set temperature and the improvement heat treatment takes place at least in part through slow cooling.  
     
     
         34 . The process as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the improvement heat treatment takes place immediately after the re-densification.  
     
     
         35 . The process as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the improvement heat treatment is carried out immediately after casting.  
     
     
         36 . The process as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein the re-densification is carried out by means of hot isostatic pressing.  
     
     
         37 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the alloy used is an iron-base, nickel-base or cobalt-base superalloy.  
     
     
         38 . The process as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the alloy includes the γ′ phase.  
     
     
         39 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein a weld filler of a similar analysis to the base metal is used for the welding.  
     
     
         40 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein a weld filler which is of the same composition as the alloy is used for the welding.  
     
     
         41 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein a weld filler which can be hardened by a precipitation is used for the welding.  
     
     
         42 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein a weld location is formed during the welding, and in that the at least one weld location is hammered.  
     
     
         43 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the alloy used is the material IN 738LC or IN 939.  
     
     
         44 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein for the improvement heat treatment the component is held at a temperature and then the component is cooled.  
     
     
         45 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the improvement heat treatment takes place at least at a solution-annealing temperature of the alloy.  
     
     
         46 . The process as claimed in  claim 26 , wherein the averaging heat treatment takes place at 1180° C.  
     
     
         47 . The process as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the subsequent heat treatment for at least partially reversing the coarse precipitations is carried out at least in part at a solution-annealing temperature.  
     
     
         48 . The process as claimed in  claim 29 , wherein the subsequent heat treatment for at least partially reversing the coarse precipitations is carried out at least in part during cooling at a cooling rate of from 20° C. to 40° C. per minute.  
     
     
         49 . The process as claimed in  claim 41 , wherein the precipitations of the weld filler form at least 35% by volume.  
     
     
         50 . The process as claimed in  claim 31 , wherein the temperature for the re-densification is below the solidus line of the material of the component.