Turbine blade protection from erosion - by laser beam hardening with carburising gas

摘要

Turbine blade with ferritic-pearlitic structure is protected by a method in which the blade is placed in a hermetically sealed chamber, with cooling of the rear of the blade, and a carbonising reaction gas e.g. C2H2 is admitted at elevated pressure while a laser melts the blade surface with a beam transmitted through a Zn selenide window. The blade is rapidly cooled and thus hardened. ADVANTAGE - Protection from stress corrosion cracking and erosion.