| abstract |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To protect a surface of a nickel-based article, for example, an inner surface (36) of a gas turbine airfoil (22) with a protective layer (40) of aluminum and at least one other element. SOLUTION: To form a protective layer (40), a donor alloy is brought into contact with a protected surface of an article, and the article and the donor alloy are brought into contact with the donor alloy at a temperature above about 0.7% of the absolute solidus temperature of the donor alloy. The alloy is simultaneously heated to a coating temperature that remains in the form of a condensed phase in contact with the protected surface of the article. This is followed by interdiffusion of the donor alloy into the protected surface of the article. |