| This research was performed to establish the feasibility of using Direct Metal Deposition (DMD) technology to deposit nickel powder to a nickel substrate. The substrate is electrodeposited pure nickel, and the material to be deposited is Metco 56C-NS Nickel powder which is 99.5% nickel and 0.5% trace elements. The DMD process is a form of laser welding; metallic powder is fed into and melted by a high power CO2 laser, which also melts the substrate. As the melted substrate and powder re-crystallize, they form a metallurgical bond, as opposed to the mechanical bond created in a normal welding process. The DMD equipment adds material to the substrate in layers; each previously added layer becomes the substrate for the subsequent layer.; From the results of the experiment, it is concluded that nickel powder can be deposited on a nickel substrate with a quality suitable of for industrial applications. The mechanical properties of the deposited nickel where lower than those of the original substrate, but the quality of the material was high. Subsequent processing, such as heat treatment, may be able to make the properties more similar. It was found that titanium was necessary for the deposition to be fully dense. Pure nickel was too porous to be used for industrial application. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
