Padding, Welding and Freeform Fabrication of Nickel Aluminide Intermetallic Compound by Reactive Rapid Prototyping Process

A novel method for padding, welding and freeform fabrication of intermetallic alloys based on an exothermic synthesis reaction between powder and droplets is proposed, and its feasibility is examined using nickel monoaluminide, NiAl, as a demonstration material. In an experiment for NiAl padding on steel, a small amount of nickel powder was fed onto a steel surface, followed by supplying an aluminum droplet onto the powder. The nickel and aluminum exothermically reacted and produced a NiAl bead on the steel surface, bringing about strong bonding between the NiAl bead and the steel. In an experiment for welding of NiAl, when an aluminum droplet was dropped onto nickel powder fed into a root gap between two NiAl base metals, they exothermically reacted and produced a molten NiAl bead. The heat from the reaction melted the base metals near the interface with the molten NiAl bead. After solidification of the molten NiAl bead and the melted parts of the base metals, welding of the base metals was completed. In an experiment for freeform fabrication of NiAl, when an aluminum droplet was dropped onto a nickel powder bed, the two metals reacted and produced a small NiAl bead. When a next droplet was fallen to a position very close to the NiAl bead, a new NiAl bead was similarly produced and was bonded to the former one. By continuous dropping of aluminum droplets a two-dimensional structure of the NiAl beads was configurated. After the two-dimensional structure was finished, nickel powder was added until it wholly covered the structure on the former plane, and then a new structure was similarly configured in the added nickel powder bed. The NiAl beads were bonded to each other in both horizontal and vertical directions. Finally, a three-dimensional structure was finished after repeating the addition of the powder and the supply of the droplet