ALLOYS

ADVANCED COLUMBIUM ALLOYS HAVING IMPROVED HIGH TEMPERATURE MECHNICAL PROPERTIES AND OXIDATION RESISTANCE ARE OF LONG-TERM INTEREST TO THE U.S. AIR FORCE FOR POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS AS TURBINE VANES IN AIRCRAFT PROPULSION SYSTEMS. THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP IMPROVED COLUMBIUM ALLOYS USING THE PRINCIPLES OF RAPID SOLIDIFICATION AND POWDER METALLURGY. MARKO MATERIALS HAS DEVELOPED A PROCESS AND BUILT THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO FABRICATE HIGH MELTING REFRACTORY METAL ALLOYS AS RAPIDLY SOLIDIFIED POWDERS. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROPOSED PHASE I SBIR PROGRAM IS TO ESTABLISH THE BASIS OF A NEW MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY BASED ON RAPID SOLIDIFICATION PROCESSING WHICH WILL ENABLE FABRICATION OF NEW DIPERSION STRENGTHENED COLUMBIUM ALLOYS. SELECTED COLUMBIUM ALLOYS MODIFIED WITH BORON, CARBON, AND TITANIUM WILL BE PROCESSED AS RAPIDLY CAST RIBOONS ONTO A ROTATING CHILL SUBSTRATE USING MARKO'S REFRACTORY METAL RIBBON CASING EQUIPMENT. THE RIBBONS WILL BE PULVERIZED INTO POWDERS. POWDERS WILL BE CONSOLIDATED INTO BARS BY HOT EXTRUSTION. CONSOLIDATED ALLOYS WILL BE EVALUATED FOR MICROSTRUCTURES AND TENSILE PROPERTIES AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES.