US 11,814,742 B2
Method of masking apertures in a component and processing the component
Sheng Xu, ShangHai (CN); Yanfei Gu, ShangHai (CN); and Dalong Zhong, ShangHai (CN)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Appl. No. 16/967,947
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
PCT Filed Feb. 8, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/017232
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 6, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/164683, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 29, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 201810127577.7 (CN), filed on Feb. 8, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2020/0370197 A1, Nov. 26, 2020
Int. Cl. C25D 13/12 (2006.01); C23C 4/02 (2006.01); F01D 5/28 (2006.01); C25D 13/00 (2006.01); C23C 28/00 (2006.01)
CPC C25D 13/12 (2013.01) [C23C 4/02 (2013.01); C23C 28/3215 (2013.01); C25D 13/00 (2013.01); F01D 5/288 (2013.01); F05D 2230/90 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of processing a component, wherein the component comprises a substrate, an outer layer on the substrate and providing a surface of the component, and at least one aperture extending through the outer layer and into the substrate, the method comprising:
placing the component in an electrophoretic fluid comprising particles of a masking material as an electrode, applying a voltage to the component and a counter electrode of the component, depositing the particles of the masking material in the electrophoretic fluid into the at least one aperture through electrophoresis to fill the at least one aperture with the masking material;
processing the surface of the component comprising removing at least one portion of the outer layer;
removing the masking material in the at least one aperture;
placing the component in the electrophoretic fluid comprising the particles of the masking material as the electrode, applying the voltage to the component and the counter electrode of the component, depositing the particles of the masking material in the electrophoretic fluid into the at least one aperture through electrophoresis to fill the at least one aperture with the masking material;
processing the surface of the component comprising applying at least one type of coating on the surface; and
removing the masking material in the at least one aperture.