A bending process for rhenium alloy plates

Abstract

This invention provides a bending correction process for rhenium alloy plates. The process involves grinding, polishing, or cleaning the deformed rhenium alloy plate, then placing it on the lower base plate of a fixture. One end of the plate is fixed to the lower base plate and assembled with the upper top plate on the cover. A clamping force is applied. The fixture is mounted on the base of an electron beam melting equipment, and circulating cooling water is turned on. The process continues until the vacuum is below 10... ‑3 After Pa, the rhenium alloy sheet is preheated and bent using an electron beam d. The sheet is then removed and rotated 90°. The above steps are repeated, followed by polishing with an electron beam d to obtain a straight rhenium alloy sheet. This bending process meets the urgent needs of academic research and applied production for bending techniques and methods for rhenium alloy sheets. It plays a good connecting role in the preceding processes of rhenium alloy processing, solving quality problems, significantly saving costs, and providing a good processing foundation for subsequent processing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bending technology and processing technology for rhenium alloy plates, and in particular provides a bending process for rhenium alloy plates. Background Technology

[0002] Rhenium, a rare metal, is one of the rarest elements in the Earth's crust, with an average content estimated at one part per billion. It is a byproduct of molybdenum and copper refining processes. Elemental rhenium is expensive, so rhenium-containing alloys are commonly used, with tungsten-rhenium, molybdenum-rhenium, and nickel-rhenium alloys being the most widely used. The rhenium content in the former two alloys typically does not exceed 50%, while nickel-rhenium alloys contain a maximum of 6%. Tungsten-rhenium alloys and molybdenum-rhenium alloys, made by adding appropriate amounts of rhenium to tungsten and molybdenum, not only possess good plasticity, allowing them to be processed into various structural materials, but also exhibit high hardness, high strength, and high-temperature resistance. Molybdenum-rhenium alloys are commonly used in the manufacture of heating tubes for space reactor cores, heating elements for high-temperature furnaces, and high-temperature thermocouples. Tungsten-rhenium alloys are widely used in the manufacture of filaments for special electron tubes and color picture tubes, high-temperature components, and thermocouples. Rhenium-nickel alloys are core materials for important structural components such as blades and turbine disks in modern jet engines. The use of rhenium can improve the creep properties of nickel-based superalloys and can also be used to manufacture single-crystal blades for aircraft engines and improve their working efficiency.

[0003] Rhenium alloys are refractory alloys, and their preparation methods typically employ vacuum melting and powder metallurgy, each with its own characteristics. Vacuum melting allows for better control and reduction of impurity content in rhenium alloy ingots, and also minimizes the precipitation of intermediate phases, which is beneficial for subsequent processing. However, rhenium alloy ingots prepared using this method usually have coarse grains with uneven size distribution, making the material prone to cracking during billet preparation. Powder metallurgy, on the other hand, offers a simpler, lower-cost process and is more easily industrialized; therefore, most rhenium alloy materials are currently produced using powder metallurgy. However, powder metallurgy makes it difficult to control the impurity content in the alloy ingot.

[0004] After the rhenium alloy billet is prepared using powder metallurgy, the subsequent processing typically includes forging, hot rolling, cold rolling, and heat treatment. As an additive element, rhenium increases the recrystallization temperature, lowers the ductile-brittle transition temperature, and significantly improves the alloy's strength and plasticity. However, when the rhenium content in the alloy is high, or when the rhenium composition is uneven or segregation occurs, a large amount of hard and brittle σ phase will be generated during production, potentially causing the rhenium alloy sheet to bend or crack. Secondly, rhenium alloys have high melting points and high recrystallization rates, resulting in significant deformation resistance. Hot rolling is generally performed in high-temperature zones with good plasticity and low deformation resistance, but excessively high hot rolling temperatures can lead to high-temperature oxidation and problems related to preventing grain growth. As the rolling temperature decreases, plasticity declines, making bending or cracking more likely during rolling at excessively low temperatures. Furthermore, grain refinement caused by deformation generates significant structural stress, which may cause the rolled sheet to naturally bend and deform.

[0005] Currently, there is no effective correction method for rhenium alloy sheets to address the above issues. Direct use leads to quality problems, while using them as scrap results in significant waste and increased costs, creating a difficult choice. Electron beam melting technology offers advantages such as extremely high power, density, fast welding speed, deep penetration, short evacuation time, narrow welding zone, and minimal heat-affected zone. It can effectively reduce the oxygen content and low-melting-point impurities in the alloy and improve its microstructure, making it a very promising technology for bending rhenium alloy sheets. Currently, researchers are searching for an effective bending process and method for rhenium alloy sheets. However, based on existing patents, no bending process and method for rhenium alloy sheets has yet been developed. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the shortcomings of existing technologies and the urgent needs of the academic community, this invention provides a bending process and method for rhenium alloy plates that is highly practical, widely applicable, and has excellent technical effects.

[0007] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: a bending process for rhenium alloy plates, the bending process comprising the following steps:

[0008] S1) Pre-treat the bent rhenium alloy sheet to be processed;

[0009] S2) Place the rhenium alloy sheet treated in S1) onto the tooling fixture and apply a clamping force;

[0010] S3) Install the tooling fixture with rhenium alloy plate from S2) onto the base of the electron beam melting equipment, turn on the circulating cooling water and perform vacuum treatment;

[0011] S4) Electron beam scanning preheating treatment is performed on the bent rhenium alloy plate after S3).

[0012] S5) Electron beam bending processing is performed on the preheated sheet material after S4);

[0013] S6) Take out the board after bending processing in S5), rotate it 90°, and repeat S2)~S5);

[0014] S7) Electron beam polishing is performed on the plate material after S6).

[0015] Furthermore, the rhenium alloy plate in S1) is a molybdenum-rhenium alloy or a tungsten-rhenium alloy, and the mass fraction of rhenium is 1% to 50%.

[0016] The pretreatment includes polishing or cleaning.

[0017] Furthermore, the tooling fixture in S2) includes: a lower base plate and an upper top plate;

[0018] The upper top plate is provided with through holes for electron beam processing, and the lower bottom plate is provided with bolts and threaded holes for fixing.

[0019] In use, one end of the rhenium alloy plate is fixed to the lower base plate, while the other end is not fixed. The fixing method is electron beam spot welding or fixing with bolts and washers, and then the upper top plate is attached.

[0020] Furthermore, the lower base plate and the upper top plate are made of structural steel or stainless steel.

[0021] Furthermore, the temperature of the circulating cooling water in S3) is no greater than 60°C under electron beam processing conditions;

[0022] The vacuum level of the equipment after vacuum treatment is no greater than 10. -3 Pa.

[0023] Furthermore, in the electron beam scanning preheating process of S4), the electron beam power is 1-2 kW, the beam spot diameter is 12-20 mm, the moving speed is 12-24 mm / s, and the scanning interval is 6-16 mm.

[0024] Furthermore, in the electron beam bending process of S5), the electron beam power is 2-5 kW, the beam spot diameter is 0.6-5 mm, the moving speed is 5-15 mm / s, and the scanning interval is 0.3-4 mm.

[0025] Furthermore, in step S6), the bending deformation of the removed plate has been eliminated by more than 85% before it is rotated 90°.

[0026] Furthermore, in the electron beam polishing process described in S7), the electron beam power is 1.5–3 kW, the beam spot diameter is 5–12 mm, the moving speed is 10–20 mm / s, and the scanning interval is 2.5–8 mm.

[0027] Electron beam melting technology is used to process rhenium alloy rolled sheets. This process allows for secondary melting of the alloy microstructure, effectively reducing the original oxygen content and low-melting-point impurities. It also reduces or eliminates the hard, brittle σ phase caused by uneven rhenium composition or segregation during production, thus improving the microstructure and properties of the alloy sheet. Furthermore, electron beam preheating and processing can mitigate bending or cracking issues that occur during rhenium alloy rolling, improving the sheet's integrity. Finally, polishing the finished rhenium alloy sheet optimizes its surface roughness and smoothness.

[0028] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: By adopting the above technical solution, it fills the gap in the bending process and method for rhenium alloy plates, meets the urgent needs for bending processes and methods for rhenium alloy plates in academic research and applied production, plays a good connecting role in the front-end processes of rhenium alloy production, solves quality problems, greatly saves costs, and provides a good processing foundation for subsequent processing. This method can be directly used as a processing step in the production of rhenium alloy plates. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the bending process and method for rhenium alloy plates according to the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 Macroscopic morphology of the deformed and bent molybdenum-rhenium alloy plate in Example 1;

[0031] Figure 3 Macroscopic morphology of the molybdenum-rhenium alloy sheet processed by electron beam bending in Example 1;

[0032] Figure 4 Macroscopic morphology of the molybdenum-rhenium alloy plate after electron beam polishing in Example 1.

[0033] In the picture:

[0034] a. Rhenium alloy plate, b. Lower bottom plate, c. Upper top plate, d. Electron beam. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to several specific embodiments. A schematic diagram of the bending process and method for rhenium alloy plates is shown below. Figure 1 As shown.

[0036] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a bending process for rhenium alloy plates, which specifically includes the following steps:

[0037] (1) Grind or clean the bent rhenium alloy plate a to be processed to reduce the impact of impurities on the equipment;

[0038] (2) Place the rhenium alloy plate processed in step (1) on the bottom plate b of the tooling fixture, fix one end of the plate to the bottom plate, and assemble it with the top plate c on the cover, and apply a clamping force.

[0039] (3) Install the tooling fixture with rhenium alloy plate in step (2) on the base of the electron beam melting equipment, turn on the circulating cooling water and perform vacuum treatment.

[0040] (4) The bent rhenium alloy plate from step (3) is preheated by scanning with an electron beam d.

[0041] (5) Perform electron beam bending processing on the preheated plate after step (4);

[0042] (6) Take out the board after bending and straightening in step (5), rotate it 90°, and repeat steps (2) to (5);

[0043] (7) Perform electron beam polishing on the plate after step (6).

[0044] As a preferred technical solution:

[0045] The rhenium alloy plate mentioned in step (1) includes alloys such as molybdenum-rhenium and tungsten-rhenium, with a rhenium element mass fraction of 1% to 50%.

[0046] The tooling fixture described in step (2) is made of structural steel or stainless steel. The upper base plate is provided with a through hole for electron beam processing, and the upper and lower base plates are provided with bolts and threaded holes.

[0047] In step (2), one end of the rhenium alloy plate is fixed to the bottom plate, and the other end is not fixed. The fixing method is electron beam spot welding or fixing with bolts and washers.

[0048] The temperature of the circulating cooling water mentioned in step (3) shall not exceed 60°C under electron beam processing conditions.

[0049] The vacuum degree of the equipment after the vacuum treatment in step (3) is no greater than 10. -3 Pa.

[0050] In the electron beam scanning preheating process described in step (4), the electron beam power is 1-2 kW, the beam spot diameter is 12-20 mm, the moving speed is 12-24 mm / s, and the scanning interval is 6-16 mm.

[0051] In the electron beam bending process described in step (5), the electron beam power is 2-5 kW, the beam spot diameter is 0.6-5 mm, the moving speed is 5-15 mm / s, and the scanning interval is 0.3-4 mm.

[0052] The bending deformation of the plate removed in step (6) has been eliminated by more than 85% before it is rotated 90°.

[0053] In the electron beam polishing process described in step (7), the electron beam power is 1.5 to 3 kW, the beam spot diameter is 5 to 12 mm, the moving speed is 10 to 20 mm / s, and the scanning interval is 2.5 to 8 mm.

[0054] Example 1

[0055] This embodiment specifically includes the following steps:

[0056] (1) The bent Mo-44.5Re molybdenum-rhenium alloy sheet to be processed was treated with acetone and anhydrous ethanol (e.g. Figure 2 The surface (as shown) is cleaned to reduce the impact of impurities on the equipment;

[0057] (2) Place the processed molybdenum rhenium alloy plate from step (1) on the bottom plate of the No. 45 steel tooling fixture, fix the relatively flat left end of the plate to the bottom plate with bolts, and leave the right end unfixed so that the plate can be flat after processing and assembled with the top plate on the cover. Rotate the bolts to apply a clamping force.

[0058] (3) Install the tooling fixture with the molybdenum-rhenium alloy plate from step (2) onto the base of the electron beam melting equipment, turn on the circulating cooling water and control the water temperature below 60°C, and simultaneously evacuate the equipment to 10°C. -3 Below Pa;

[0059] (4) The bent molybdenum-rhenium alloy plate from step (3) is subjected to electron beam scanning preheating treatment. The electron beam power is 1.2kw, the beam spot diameter is 15mm, the moving speed is 16mm / s, and the scanning interval is 8mm.

[0060] (5) The plate after the preheating treatment in step (4) is subjected to electron beam bending processing. The electron beam power is 3kw, the beam spot diameter is 2mm, the moving speed is 9mm / s, and the scanning interval is 1mm.

[0061] (6) Take out the sheet material after the bending process in step (5), such as Figure 3 As shown, its bending deformation has been eliminated by about 95%. Rotate the plate 90° to the right and repeat steps (2) to (5).

[0062] (7) The plate processed in step (6) is subjected to electron beam polishing. The electron beam power is 2 kW, the beam spot diameter is 8 mm, the moving speed is 15 mm / s, and the scanning interval is 4 mm. After polishing, the molybdenum-rhenium alloy plate has been bent. Figure 4 As shown, the curved molybdenum-rhenium plate becomes flat overall after bending correction.

[0063] Example 2

[0064] This embodiment specifically includes the following steps:

[0065] (1) Use an angle grinder to grind the surface of the bent tungsten rhenium (W-3Re) alloy plate to be processed, and clean it with acetone and anhydrous ethanol to reduce the impact of surface oil on the equipment;

[0066] (2) Place the tungsten rhenium alloy plate processed in step (1) on the bottom plate of the stainless steel tooling fixture, fix the relatively flat right end of the plate to the bottom plate with bolts, and do not fix the left end so that the plate can be flat after processing and assembled with the top plate on the cover. Rotate the bolts to apply a clamping force.

[0067] (3) Install the tooling fixture with the tungsten-rhenium alloy plate from step (2) onto the base of the electron beam melting equipment, turn on the circulating cooling water and control the water temperature below 60°C, and simultaneously evacuate the equipment to 10°C. -3 Below Pa;

[0068] (4) The bent tungsten rhenium alloy plate from step (3) is subjected to electron beam scanning preheating treatment. The electron beam power is 1.5kw, the beam spot diameter is 18mm, the moving speed is 18mm / s, and the scanning interval is 9mm.

[0069] (5) The plate after the preheating treatment in step (4) is subjected to electron beam bending processing. The electron beam power is 2.5kw, the beam spot diameter is 2mm, the moving speed is 15mm / s, and the scanning interval is 1mm.

[0070] (6) Take out the board after the bending process in step (5). Its bending deformation has been eliminated by about 90%. Rotate the board 90° to the right and repeat steps (2) to (5).

[0071] (7) The plate after step (6) is subjected to electron beam polishing. The electron beam power is 1.5kw, the beam spot diameter is 6mm, the moving speed is 16mm / s, and the scanning distance is 3mm. After polishing, a straight tungsten rhenium alloy plate after bending is obtained.

[0072] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of a bending process for rhenium alloy plates according to embodiments of this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application; furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this application, there will be changes in specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0073] Certain terms are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific components. Those skilled in the art will understand that hardware manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same component. This specification and claims do not distinguish components based on differences in name, but rather on differences in function. The terms "comprising" and "including" used throughout the specification and claims are open-ended and should be interpreted as "comprising / including but not limited to". "Approximately" means that within an acceptable margin of error, those skilled in the art can solve the technical problem and substantially achieve the technical effect within a predetermined margin of error. The following descriptions in the specification are preferred embodiments for carrying out this application; however, these descriptions are for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. The scope of protection of this application shall be determined by the appended claims.

[0074] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a product or system comprising a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a product or system. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the product or system that includes said element.

[0075] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0076] The foregoing description illustrates and describes several preferred embodiments of this application. However, as previously stated, it should be understood that this application is not limited to the forms disclosed herein and should not be construed as excluding other embodiments. It is applicable to various other combinations, modifications, and environments, and can be altered within the scope of the application's conception described herein, through the foregoing teachings or related field techniques or knowledge. Any modifications and variations made by those skilled in the art that do not depart from the spirit and scope of this application should be within the protection scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bending process for rhenium alloy plates, characterized in that, The bending correction process includes the following steps: S1) Pre-treat the bent rhenium alloy sheet to be processed; S2) Place the rhenium alloy sheet treated in S1) onto the tooling fixture and apply a clamping force; S3) Install the tooling fixture with rhenium alloy plate from S2) onto the base of the electron beam melting equipment, turn on the circulating cooling water and perform vacuum treatment; S4) Electron beam scanning preheating treatment is performed on the bent rhenium alloy plate after S3); During the electron beam scanning preheating process, the electron beam power is 1~2kw, the beam spot diameter is 12~20mm, the moving speed is 12~24mm / s, and the scanning interval is 6~16mm. S5) Electron beam bending processing is performed on the preheated sheet material after S4); During the electron beam bending process, the electron beam power is 2~5kw, the beam spot diameter is 0.6~5mm, the moving speed is 5~15mm / s, and the scanning interval is 0.3~4mm. S6) Take out the sheet material after the bending process in S5), rotate it 90°, and repeat S2)~S5). S7) Electron beam polishing is performed on the plate material after S6); In the electron beam polishing process, the electron beam power is 1.5~3kw, the beam spot diameter is 5~12mm, the moving speed is 10~20mm / s, and the scanning interval is 2.5~8mm.

2. The bending correction process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rhenium alloy plate in S1) is a molybdenum-rhenium alloy or a tungsten-rhenium alloy, and the mass fraction of rhenium is 1% to 50%. The pretreatment includes polishing or cleaning.

3. The bending correction process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tooling fixture in S2) includes: a lower base plate and an upper top plate; The upper top plate is provided with through holes for electron beam processing, and the lower bottom plate is provided with bolts and threaded holes for fixing. In use, one end of the rhenium alloy plate is fixed to the bottom plate, while the other end is not fixed. The fixing method is electron beam spot welding or fixing with bolts and washers. Then, the top plate is placed on top and assembled.

4. The bending correction process according to claim 3, characterized in that, The bottom plate and top plate are made of structural steel or stainless steel.

5. The bending correction process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The temperature of the circulating cooling water in S3) shall not exceed 60°C under electron beam processing conditions; The vacuum level of the equipment after the vacuuming process is no greater than 10. -3 Pa.

6. The bending correction process according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bending deformation of the removed plate in S6) has been eliminated by more than 85% before it is rotated 90°.

Images