U.S. patent application number 12/606547 was filed with the patent office on 2010-04-15 for metal alloy.
This patent application is currently assigned to GEBAUER & GRILLER METALLWERK GMBH. Invention is credited to Ewald Koppensteiner, Rudolf Schrayvogel.
Application Number | 20100092334 12/606547 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42099009 |
Filed Date | 2010-04-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100092334 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Koppensteiner; Ewald ; et
al. |
April 15, 2010 |
Metal Alloy
Abstract
A metal alloy is primarily formed of copper, nickel, magnesium
and iron. The main constituents are copper and nickel. The contents
of magnesium and iron are increased considerably in comparison with
the prior art conventional alloys.
Inventors: |
Koppensteiner; Ewald; (St.
Florian, AT) ; Schrayvogel; Rudolf; (St. Leonhard,
AT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LERNER GREENBERG STEMER LLP
P O BOX 2480
HOLLYWOOD
FL
33022-2480
US
|
Assignee: |
GEBAUER & GRILLER METALLWERK
GMBH
Linz
AT
|
Family ID: |
42099009 |
Appl. No.: |
12/606547 |
Filed: |
October 27, 2009 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12119180 |
May 12, 2008 |
|
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12606547 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
420/486 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C22C 19/03 20130101;
C22C 30/02 20130101; C22C 9/06 20130101; C22C 19/002 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
420/486 |
International
Class: |
C22C 9/06 20060101
C22C009/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 10, 2007 |
AT |
A 733/2007 |
Dec 20, 2007 |
AT |
A 2091/2007 |
Claims
1. A homogenous copper-nickel metal alloy, consisting essentially
of the following constituents in the following proportions (in % by
mass and/or % by weight): TABLE-US-00011 copper 40% to 61% nickel
35% to 45% manganese 3.9% to 10% iron 0.1% to 5% other materials at
most 2% in total
with the sum of the selected components adding to 100% by mass or
100% by weight; and the individual alloying constituents being
completely soluble in one another to form a closed solid-solution
series with no miscibility gaps, such that the alloy is completely
homogenous within itself.
2. The metal alloy according to claim 1, consisting of copper,
nickel, manganese, iron, and other materials in the following
proportions (in % by mass and/or % by weight): TABLE-US-00012
copper 55.03% nickel 39.66% manganese 4.64% iron 0.46% other
materials 0.21%.
3. The metal alloy according to claim 2, wherein said other
materials are present in the following proportions (in % by mass
and/or % by weight of the total alloy): TABLE-US-00013 carbon 0.05%
silicon 0.06% aluminum 0.02% magnesium 0.03% titanium 0.01%
chromium 0.02% further materials 0.02%
4. The metal alloy according to claim 3, wherein said further
materials are selected from the group consisting of the rare
earths, molybdenum, and yttrium.
5. The metal alloy according to claim 1, consisting of copper,
nickel, manganese, iron, and other materials in the following
proportions (in % by mass and/or % by weight): TABLE-US-00014
copper 52.87% nickel 39.16% manganese 3.98% iron 3.75% other
materials 0.24%.
6. The metal alloy according to claim 5, wherein said other
materials are present in the following proportions (in % by mass
and/or % by weight of the total alloy): TABLE-US-00015 carbon 0.05%
silicon 0.09% aluminum 0.03% magnesium 0.03% titanium 0.01%
chromium 0.02% further materials 0.01%.
7. The metal alloy according to claim 6, wherein said further
materials are selected from the group consisting of the rare
earths, molybdenum, and yttrium.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of
co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/119,180, filed on
May 12, 2008, and claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119,
of Austrian patent applications A 733/2007, filed May 10, 2007, and
A 2091/2007, filed Dec. 20, 2007; the prior applications being
herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a metal alloy which
essentially consists of copper, nickel, magnesium and iron. The
main constituents of the alloy are copper and nickel.
[0003] Known alloys of this type have a great number of properties,
on the basis of which they can be used in many technical areas and
for various purposes. On account of their corrosion resistance,
their mechanical strength and their ductility, they can be used in
particular in the chemical industries, as well as in the oil
industry, in chemical engineering and chemical apparatus
construction, and in desalination technology. They can also be used
for cable reinforcements, for producing spectacle frames and in
many other technical areas, as well as for electrotechnical uses.
Moreover, these known alloys can be used for coatings. They can
also be used as welding fillers.
[0004] These known alloys are produced in the form of castings,
plates, sheets, strips, foils, rods, tubes and wires, which serve
as starting products for the production of many components.
[0005] In order to satisfy the requirements they have to meet when
they are used, these metal alloys must have good processing
properties, that is to say they must allow good casting and cold
and hot forming, must also allow for good welding and good
soldering or brazing, must allow good machining, good grinding and
polishing and also allow themselves to be electroplated.
[0006] All these requirements are met for example by the NiCu30Fe
alloy material No. 2.4360 in accordance with DIN 17743. That known
alloy has the following constituents in the proportions given below
(in % by mass and/or % by weight):
TABLE-US-00001 nickel at least 63% copper 28% to 34% iron 1% to
2.5% manganese at most 2% other materials at most 1%
[0007] One of the reasons for the good material properties
explained above is that the individual alloying constituents are
completely soluble in one another, whereby they form a closed
solid-solution series with no miscibility gaps and as a result of
which the alloy is completely homogeneous within itself.
[0008] The prior art metal alloy and similar further nickel-copper
alloys have very high proportions of nickel, which must be taken
into consideration because the world market price of nickel is many
times higher than the price of copper, for which reason these known
alloys are very expensive. Likewise known copper-nickel alloys with
low nickel contents and only small additions of further alloying
elements have in turn poorer properties, for example with regard to
mechanical strength and ductility or with regard to their corrosion
resistance in aggressive media.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a
metal alloy, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of
the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and
which provides for an alloy which has the same advantageous
properties as the prior art alloys, in particular as the alloy
NiCu30Fe, but which however contains a much reduced proportion of
nickel in comparison with the latter, as a result of which it is
significantly less expensive than the known alloy. In particular,
the alloy of the instant invention shares, among other advantages
of the NiCu30Fe, the advantage that the individual alloying
constituents of the invention are completely soluble in one
another, whereby they form a closed solid-solution series with no
miscibility gaps, a result of which is that the inventive alloy is
also completely homogeneous within itself.
[0010] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is
provided, in accordance with the invention, a copper-nickel metal
alloy that is primarily formed of copper, nickel, manganese and
iron. The main constituents are copper and nickel. The contents of
manganese and iron are increased considerably in comparison with
the prior art conventional alloys. The novel alloy according to the
invention has the following constituents in the following
proportions (in % by mass and/or wt. %):
TABLE-US-00002 copper 40% to 61% nickel 35% to 45% manganese 3.9%
to 10% iron 0.1% to 5% other materials (e.g., carbon, at most 2% in
total silicon, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, chromium, rare
earths, molybdenum, yttrium) with the sum of the individual
components adding to 100% by mass or 100% by weight.
[0011] On account of its much lower proportion of nickel, this
alloy is significantly less expensive than the known nickel-copper
alloys, without its properties being made any worse than the known
alloys. On account of the much higher proportion of manganese in
comparison with the prior art, this alloy also has particularly
high heat resistance, which is required for many applications.
[0012] This alloy preferably has the following proportions (in % by
mass and/or % by weight):
TABLE-US-00003 copper 46% to 59% nickel 37% to 42% manganese 3.9%
to 7% iron 0.2% to 5% other materials at most 2% in total. with the
sum of the selected components adding to 100% by mass or 100% by
weight.
[0013] A specific preferred alloy has the following constituents in
the following proportions (in % by mass or wt. %):
TABLE-US-00004 copper 55.03% nickel 39.66% manganese 4.64% iron
0.46% carbon 0.05% silicon 0.06% aluminum 0.02% magnesium 0.03%
titanium 0.01% chromium 0.02% other materials 0.02%
[0014] A further preferred alloy has the following constituents in
the following proportions (in % by mass and/or % by weight):
TABLE-US-00005 copper 52.87% nickel 39.16% manganese 3.98% iron
3.75% carbon 0.05% silicon 0.09% aluminum 0.03% magnesium 0.03%
titanium 0.01% chromium 0.02% other materials 0.01%
[0015] Other features which are considered as characteristic for
the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
[0016] Although the invention is described herein as embodied in
metal alloy, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the
details shown, since various modifications and structural changes
may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the
invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the
claims.
[0017] The construction and method of operation of the invention,
however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof
will be best understood from the following description of the four
alloys representing specific embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Example 1
[0018] In this example the alloy has the following constituents in
the following proportions (in % by mass and/or % by weight):
TABLE-US-00006 copper 40% to 61% nickel 35% to 45% manganese 3.9%
to 10% iron 0.1% to 5% other materials, such as carbon, at most 2%
in total silicon, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, chromium, rare
earths, molybdenum, yttrium with the sum of the selected components
adding to 100% by mass or 100% by weight.
Example 2
[0019] In this example the alloy has the following constituents in
the following proportions (in % by mass and/or % by weight):
TABLE-US-00007 copper 46% to 59% nickel 37% to 42% manganese 3.9%
to 7% iron 0.2% to 5% other materials, such as carbon, at most 2%
in total silicon, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, chromium, rare
earths, molybdenum, yttrium with the sum of the selected components
adding to 100% by mass or 100% by weight.
Example 3
[0020] In this example the alloy has the following constituents in
the following proportions (in % by mass and/or % by weight):
TABLE-US-00008 copper 55.03% nickel 39.66% manganese 4.64% iron
0.46% carbon 0.05% silicon 0.06% aluminum 0.02% magnesium 0.03%
titanium 0.01% chromium 0.02% other materials 0.02%
Example 4
[0021] In this example the alloy has the following constituents in
the following proportions (in % by mass and/or % by weight):
TABLE-US-00009 copper 52.87% nickel 39.16% manganese 3.98% iron
3.75% carbon 0.05% silicon 0.09% aluminum 0.03% magnesium 0.03%
titanium 0.01% chromium 0.02% other materials 0.01%
[0022] All of these alloys have a comparatively high proportion of
copper and a comparatively low proportion of nickel, as a result of
which they are comparatively low in cost in comparison with known
Ni--Cu alloys on account of the considerable difference in the
price of nickel and copper. Quite apart from this, these alloys are
highly corrosion-resistant, have high strengths and can be
processed very well on account of their very homogeneous structure,
as a result of which they can be used in a wide variety of areas.
In particular, the individual alloying constituents of the
foregoing alloys of examples 1-4 are completely soluble in one
another, whereby they form a closed solid-solution series with no
miscibility gaps, one result of which is that the alloy is
completely homogeneous within itself.
[0023] For example, in comparison with NiCu30Fe, the alloy
according to Example 3 and the alloy according to Example 4 have
under the same processing conditions in rolling, drawing,
intermediate annealing and final annealing very similar mechanical
values on round and flat products, which has very favorable effects
on their processability: in Table 1 below, the tensile strengths Rm
(in N/mm.sup.2) and the elongation to fracture A200 (in %, based on
a measured length of 200 mm) are compared between the alloy
according to Example 3, the alloy according to Example 4 and the
known alloy NiCu30Fe, in each case in the form of round wire of
1.80 mm in diameter and flat wire of 12.7.times.0.38 mm, both
soft-annealed.
TABLE-US-00010 TABLE 1 Round wire Flat wire Rm (N/mm.sup.2) A200
(%) Rm (N/mm.sup.2) A200 (%) Alloy according to 561 34 533 29
Example 3 Alloy according to 576 33 547 28 Example 4 Alloy NiCu30Fe
547 34 525 29
[0024] The mechanical values of all three alloys compared are to be
considered as the same within the usual batch-dependent variations.
Similarly, for example, the stability with respect to softening
during brazing at temperatures of 600.degree. C. and above is to be
considered as equally good, much better than in the case of
copper-nickel alloys without these high manganese and iron
contents.
[0025] The alloys of Example 3 and Example 4 exhibiting the
properties discussed in connection with Table 1 were produced using
certain common process parameters and production steps. For
example, in the production of both of Example 3 and Example 4,
there was a common smelting of the individual alloying constituents
of defined composition at a temperature in the range of
1420-1520.degree. C., i.e. 100-200.degree. C. above the liquidus
line, wherein the smelting process is completed. Subsequently, the
alloy of Examples 3 and 4 were cast at 1320-1420.degree. C. into
the shape of an ingot with 1.5 tons of weight, about 1.5 meters (9
feet) in height and 30 to 40 cm (11.81-15.75 inches) in width. The
alloys were then hot rolled at a temperature in the range of
1030-1150.degree. C. from the ingot, into 2 or 3 billets having a
120 to 135 mm (4.72-5.31 inch) dimension. The resulting work
product of the hot rolling step was ground on all 4 sides to a
weight loss of 5-10%, followed by an ultrasonic inspection with
regard to non-metallic inclusions larger than 1 mm (0.04 inches) in
size. After grinding, the result product is hot rolled a second
time in a second heating step from the billet into a black,
oxidized, round wire rod of 5.5-7.5 mm (0.22-0.30 inches) in
diameter. The second hot rolling was performed at a temperature
range of 1000-1080.degree. C.
[0026] The black, oxidized, round wire rods at the hot rolling
temperature were then quenched in water. Such quenching is a common
process step and is also performed in the production of NiCu30Fe
wire rods of the same size. The quenched rods were then stationary
annealed in a bell furnace at 700.degree. C., in an atmosphere
containing 1.5-3.0% H.sub.2 and 98.5-97.0% N.sub.2. The annealed
wire rods were then pickled in hydrochloric acid for 1 hour, as is
also done with the NiCu30Fe wire rods. Subsequent to pickling, the
rods were cold-worked by cold-drawing or cold rolling the 5.5-7.5
mm wire rods to round or flat wire employing area-reductions and
intermediate annealing steps, as is also done for NiCu30Fe wire,
even to the point of using the same lubricants and detergents used
in the production of the known NiCu30Fe wire. The round and flat
wires so produced, having achieved their final dimensions, were
then subjected to a final annealing step in a continuous furnace
with an atmosphere of 90% N.sub.2 and 10% H.sub.2 at 950.degree. C.
at the same line speeds as used for wires made from the known
NiCu30Fe alloy of the same dimensions.
[0027] It is important to note that the production parameters and
method for producing the homogenous copper-nickel wrought alloy of
the foregoing Examples 3 and 4, described hereinabove, are the same
as for the production of NiCu30Fe alloy, which fact is important
for the users of the homogenous copper-nickel alloy wrought in
accordance with the instant invention. In particular, by using the
same production parameters for the homogenous copper-nickel wrought
alloy of the present invention, very similar properties to those of
the known NiCu30Fe alloy can be achieved by the alloy of the
invention, for example, by the alloy of Examples 3 and 4.
[0028] In order to achieve these properties with the alloy of the
instant invention, it is relevant that the individual alloying
constituents are heated up to their molten status and that the
individual alloying constituents become soluble in one another to
form a closed solid-solution series with no miscibility gaps. As a
result thereof the manufactured copper-nickel wrought alloy in
accordance with the instant invention is homogenous within itself.
It is a wrought alloy cast from a fully liquid melt; it is not a
singered metal produced by sintering together powder particles and
grains by diffusion processes performed at lower temperatures than
the melting temperatures of the constituents.
[0029] A further example of the comparatively good properties of
the alloys produced according to Example 3 and according to Example
4, in comparison with alloys with a higher nickel content, is the
comparatively good corrosion behavior of the alloys according to
Example 3 and according to Example 4 as compared with NiCu30Fe. The
results of two comparative corrosion tests are given below:
[0030] a) Test in 62% CaCl.sub.2 at 120.degree. C. for 5 days:
[0031] The loss in weight (g/m.sup.2 h) in the case of NiCu30Fe is
0.010, in the case of the alloy according to Example 3 it is 0.014,
i.e., the alloy according to Example 3 is approximately 71% as
corrosion resistant under these conditions as NiCu30Fe, with a
nickel content of about 59% in comparison with NiCu30Fe, and, like
NiCu30Fe, also shows no signs of harmful pitting.
[0032] b) Test in 27 g/l of NaCl at 80.degree. C., 6 bar H.sub.2S,
6 bar CO.sub.2 for 14 days:
[0033] The loss in weight (g/m.sup.2 h) in the case of NiCu30Fe is
0.0186, in the case of the alloy according to Example 4 it is
0.0100, i.e. the alloy according to Example 4 is approximately 186%
(that is almost twice) as corrosion resistant under such conditions
as NiCu30Fe, with a nickel content of about 59% in comparison with
NiCu30Fe, and, in the same way as NiCu30Fe, also shows no signs of
harmful pitting.
* * * * *