Reissued 14 August 2002
Copyright © 2002 Sulzer Metco — All rights reserved.
By Dientje Fortuna
Braze Build-up on Worn or
Damaged Surfaces Without the
Use of Cements or Binders
With the phenomenal growth in the business
of repairing and restoring aerospace and land-
based gas turbine (LBGT) engines, has come
the challenge of applying the high temperature
alloys in better and faster ways. All repairs
were originally done using a welding process.
While this is an established and accepted
process, it limited the type of parts and repairs
that could be done. Costs of new replacement
components have pushed engine owners to
find alternate ways to replace worn or
damaged parts. Braze repairs were developed
through the creation of new alloys and
processes. As the industry grew and the repair
process was refined, new methods to apply the
alloys became crucial to continued success.
Most of the repairs require high temperature
braze alloys like nickel or cobalt based alloys,
Table 1
Typical Braze Application Methods
Powder + Cements & Gels
Paste
Tape / Preforms
Foil
so the renewed component functions similar to
a new part. These alloys were not available in
all of the standard application forms, (see
Table 1) and new forms were required as
restorations were developed. Unlike the more
ductile silver, gold and copper alloys, the
nickel and cobalt alloys are difficult to deliver
in many of the traditional forms. Because of
their brittleness, most of the repair processes
were developed using cements, binders, pastes
or tapes to deliver the braze alloy. While
these forms worked, there have been some
quality issues as the deposits got thicker and
the repairs more innovative. Compounding
the need to find alternative application
methods, new environmental issues changed
the composition, handling and shipping of the
binders and cements. Innovations in alloy
forms were definitely required.
Wire
Rod
Clad / Coatings
Preforms
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Binders, cements and gels contain organic
materials that must be reduced to gasses
during the braze cycle and removed through
the furnace pumping system. While the
majority of the materials in these vehicles are
removed, some remain throughout the braze
cycle and eventually deposit on the hot-zone
walls of the furnace. Extra cleaning is
required to remove the build-up of the
contaminants from the walls. This non-
productive time is costly and decreases
productivity. These same materials can cause
porosity, pitting or stress fractures in the braze
alloy deposit because of the amount of binder
found in the large repair deposits. This
porosity can require a rebraze of the part to
correct defects, which adds additional costs.
Using the standard methods of application
with longer braze and diffusion cycles, the
braze alloy (which can be as much as 80% of
the deposit) can flow too much and require
application of stop-off to protect certain areas
from unwanted alloy, adding costs to the
process.
Environmental issues have forced changes in
the ingredients found in binders, gels and
pastes. Many of the reformulated materials
don’t perform as well as they originally did.
Today, there are still environmental issues
concerning health of the users, shipping and
storage of the cements, binders and pastes.
The need to solve these issues and improve the
application of thick braze alloy deposits has
driven the development of alternative
applications. Table 2 provides a summary of
the standard braze applications.

Table 2

CEMENTS GELS PASTE TAPE

Advantages: Advantages: Advantages: Advantages:

• Varying range of viscosity • Holds powders in suspension
• Dries quickly • Longer shelf life
• Low cost • Low cost
• Water or organic based
• Pre-blended to eliminate
variance
• Pre-packaged – reduces labor
costs
• Water or organic based
• Holds powder in suspension
• Consistent thickness
• Reduces waste
• Reduces labor
• Available in most alloys

Disadvantages: Disadvantages: Disadvantages: Disadvantages:

• Outgassing • Outgassing • Outgassing • Outgassing

• Requires constant mixing
• Slurry can vary between
operators
• Residue remains in furnace
• 50% of the deposit by volume
• Storage & shelf life issues
• Longer drying time
• Paste can vary between
operators
• Residue remains in furnace
• 50% of the deposit by volume
• Storage & shelf life issues
• Higher cost
• Longer drying time
• Residue remains in furnace
• 50% of the deposit by volume
• Storage & shelf life issues
• Higher cost
• Longer drying time
• Residue remains in furnace
• 50% of the deposit by volume
• Storage & shelf life issues
Page 3
Alternative Applications
Braze Foils
Several alternative forms of application are
currently available in support of the turbine
repair market. Nickel and cobalt braze foils
have been available for many years. The foil
delivers a consistent deposit thickness without
the use of binders or cements. One difficulty
in using this product for worn surface
restoration is the thickness limitation of the
foil. Many layers of foil are needed to rebuild
the worn area. This translates to a higher cost
for the material and labor to apply the many
layers. For crack repair or to rebuild slightly
worn areas, the foil works well since the
environmental and porosity issues are
eliminated. Also, the types of braze alloys
used in the repair process applied in a foil
form will have a reduced flow making the use
of stop-off minimal. Some braze alloys are
not available in foil form, limiting the choice.
Sintered Preforms
Sintered preforms of nickel and cobalt braze
alloys are not new to the marketplace either,
but are finding renewed interest in the turbine
repair market. These materials start out as a
tape or powder that are processed much like
other PM parts or sintered products. The
finished product is delivered in sheets or in a
variety of shapes for use in crack repair or
restoration of worn or damaged surfaces.
Prior to sintering, the deposit of alloy is made
as dense as possible using force or powder
size and shape. The materials are then
sintered at a temperature near or between the
solidus and liquidus temperature of the braze
alloy component. Care must be taken to
insure the boron and/or silicon contained in
the braze alloy are not compromised during
the sinter cycle so the melting temperature or
flow characteristics of the braze preform are
not changed. If the braze alloy does not
perform as expected, the bond between the
preform and the component would be poor and
have to be replaced.
Like the foil product, the sintered preforms do
not contain any binder so outgassing during
the braze cycle is not an issue. Porosity in
these products varies from 2 to 10%. The
brazed deposit is usually dense with little
porosity. The thickness is consistent with
minor shrinkage during the braze cycle so the
brazed results can be predetermined to save
time and costs. Any blend of braze alloy and
filler powder can be made into the sintered
preforms so a wide range is available to the
market. The sintering process will retard the
braze alloy flow slightly which is a desirable
attribute for restoration work. In this way, the
braze alloy and filler powder remain together
in the brazed deposit insuring the repair has
physical characteristics similar to the base
metal. Once the repair process has been
defined, there should be little need for stop-off
to mask crucial areas.
Laser Welding
Laser cladding or welding is being used more
and more for certain repairs on turbine
components. This process uses a standard
laser system with a specialized powder
delivery system for blade tips or worn surface
restorations. This process can be done with a
braze alloy/base metal powder combination or
base metal powder alone. Size and delivery of
the powder is critical to the success of this
application. Some special powder sizes have
been established for these applications. The
powder must be delivered in a constant stream
right at the part surface so the laser can melt it
and form the weld/coating repair. Because
there is only a fraction of a second for the
powder to melt, the powder particle size must
be controlled and the feeding mechanism
consistent. There is an advantage with this
process over other repair systems. The part is
heated only in localized areas and the
temperatures are much lower than the part
would see in a braze repair cycle. This
process can prolong the life of the part by
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allowing the part to be repaired more times.
The downside is cost of the equipment and the
current limit on the types of repairs possible.
This repair technique continues to grow and as
equipment becomes more sophisticated and
alloy powders tailored to the application,
many of the current limitations will disappear.
Binderless Braze Products
The last group of turbine repair materials is
manufactured using Binderless technology.
These products are available in thin ribbons,
thick sheets or as coatings deposited directly
onto worn or damaged areas of the
components. Like the sintered and foil forms,
the binderless products contain no binders so
there is no outgassing from binders during the
braze cycle or residue remaining on the hot
zone walls once the furnace cycle is complete.
The braze cycles can be shorter and fewer
cleaning cycles required. Both of these items
will reduce costs. The thickness and alloy
composition are tightly controlled so the
resulting deposit can be pre-determined and
homogeneous in nature.
The Binderless ribbon (0.003 – 0.10” thick)
and sheet (0.0l0 – 0.05” thick) can be used in
the same application where tape and paste are
currently used. Unlike the binder containing
products, the binderless products have a
greatly reduced shrinkage. While brazed tape
and paste deposits are approximately 50% of
the original deposit size, the Binderless brazed
deposit is approximately 90% of the original
thickness. The Binderless sheet and ribbon
can be applied with spot welds, which are
quick and allow placement on both sides of
components. This allows a complete repair in
one cycle where products with binders require
two or more cycles. For other comparisons
see Table 3.

Table 3
BRAZE ALLOY APPLICATION COMPARISON
Binder Containing Products vs. Processed Preforms (pre-sintered, Binderless preforms)

BINDER APPLICATIONS PROCESSED PREFORMS

Advantages: Advantages:
• Lower cost • Unlimited shelf life
• Greater variety of alloys • No binder = no residue = no outgassing
• Some application forms can be made in house • Porosity reduced to 5 – 10% after brazing
• Little shrinkage (5 – 15%)
• Smooth surface on brazed deposit
• No special storage conditions
• Preforms can be cleaned prior to use
• 3 dimensional shapes possible
• Tack welds insures placement
• Can soften to conform to surfaces

Disadvantages: Disadvantages:
• Limited Shelf Life • Higher purchase price
• Furnace residue • No ductility in thicker preforms
• Shrinkage (50%) • Laser or waterjet required to cut thick sheets
• Requires skilled technicians • Some surface oxides present
• Special storage conditions • Some limitations on composition
• Most products made-to-order with extended lead times
Page 5

The manufacturing process for these products

is proprietary to Sulzer Metco. Special
manufacturing parameters have been
developed to produce thin ribbons (0.08 – 0.25
mm, 0.003 – 0.010” thick) or sheets (0.28 –
1.27 mm, 0.022 – 0.050” thick) that braze well
in vacuum or hydrogen atmospheres. The
resulting brazed deposit has characteristics
similar to those found in the base metal
components. The Binderless products can be
made with a single braze alloy or in
combination with stainless steel, nickel or
cobalt superalloy powders. The ratio of braze
alloy and filler powder can be varied to meet Figure 1. SEM mapping Co-Ni-Cr-B + Co-Cr-
the requirements of the repair. This allows the Ni-W-Ta. Magnification: 200X; Evaluation: Dot
repair site to have properties as close to the Map of Tungsten Element only found in one
parent metal as possible. component

Because of the physical characteristics of Some might wonder about the homogeneity of
certain nickel and cobalt alloys, they are not the materials within the Binderless products.
available in foil form. Materials such as AMS Fig. 1 is a SEM mapping of tungsten in a
4782 (Ni-Cr-Si) or AWS BNi-8 (Ni-Mn-Si- blend of cobalt-based materials in an unbrazed
Cu) are two materials that are not available in Binderless sheet. Production of a two
foil form, but these alloys can readily be component Binderless sheet is usually done by
manufactured into thin ribbon or thicker sheet pre-blending the powders and using a powder
using the thermal spray process. Alloy blends feeder system. The feeder system helps to
of braze alloy and filler powder can be made keep the powders blended during the
into the same forms in ratios of 80/20 to production of the sprayed sheets. An
20/80. Table 4 shows some of the alloys and alternative to a homogeneous blend of alloys
filler powders that can be used to manufacture is a layered product where two or three layers
the Binderless products. of various alloys create a Binderless sheet.
Figure 2 shows a microphotograph of a brazed
Table 4
cobalt sheet on a Hastelloy X base metal
component. The sheet used was 0.030” thick.
Braze Alloys Filler Alloys The braze alloy has melted and created a
matrix with the unmelted filler powder.
BNi-5 AMDRY DF3 MM509 As the world requires more power generation
BCo-1 AMDRY DF-4B Rene 80 and travel by aircraft continues to increase, the
BNi-2 AMDRY DF5 IN713 need to restore components of these engines
BNi-3 AMDRY BRB X-40 will increase. Some newer, more efficient,
BNi-4 AMDRY 915 MM247 less costly methods will surely develop. The
BNi-8 AMDRY 775 IN738 applications reviewed in this paper have
certainly made a positive impact on this
industry and will continue to do so for some
time.
Page 6

Figure 2. Photomicrograph of brazed cobalt

sheet on Hastelloy X base metal. Braze alloy is
50% Co-Cr-Ni-Si-W and 50% Co-Cr-Ni-W-C
brazed at 2200 °F for 30 minutes.
Top: original magnification of 50X
Bottom: original magnification of 100X

——————————————————–—

Figure 3. Examples of materials

made with the binderless process.