# US 10,501,826 B2 · Superelastic alloy

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- Number: US 10,501,826 B2
- Document ID: US10501826B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/518,112
- Filed: 2015-10-14
- Published: 2017-11-02
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-23
- Assignees: Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K. K.; Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Applicants: Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K.; Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Inventors: Hideki Hosoda; Tomonari Inamura; Masaki Tahara; Yuri Shinohara; Kota Fuchiwaki; Kenji Goto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501826B2

## CPC

- C22C 14/00: Alloys based on titanium
- C22F 1/006: {Resulting in heat recoverable alloys with a memory effect}
- C22F 1/183: {of titanium or alloys based thereon}
- A61L 31/00: Materials for other surgical articles {, e.g. stents, stent-grafts, shunts, surgical drapes, guide wires, materials for adhesion prevention, occluding devices, surgical gloves, tissue fixation devices (shape or structure of stent-grafts A61F2/07, of stents A61F2/82, of surgical gloves A61B42/00, of surgical drapes A61B46/00, of occluding devices A61B17/12022)}
- A61L 2400/16: Materials with shape-memory or superelastic properties
- C22F 1/00: Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working (apparatus for mechanical working of metal B21, B23, B24)
- C22F 1/18: High-melting or refractory metals or alloys based thereon
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- C22F: CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass, C23F17/00)
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)

## Abstract

The present invention provides a superelastic alloy containing Au in an amount of 8.0% by mass or more and 20.0% by mass or less and at least one of Cr and Mo as essential additive elements, Ta as an optional additive element, and Ti and inevitable impurities as a balance, wherein the Cr equivalent calculated on the basis of the following formula for the relationship of the Cr content, the Mo content and the Ta content is within the range of more than 0.5 and less than 8.0. The alloy is a Ni-free superelastic alloy, and has favorable X-ray-imaging property. Accordingly, the alloy can be suitably used in medical fields. Cr equivalent=[Cr content (% by mass)]+([Mo content (% by mass)]/1.7)+([Ta content (% by mass)]/15) [Formula 1]

## Claims

### Claim 1

A superelastic alloy containing Au in an amount of 8.0% by mass or more and 20.0% by mass or less, Ta in an amount of 9.0% by mass or more and 20.0% by mass or less, either Cr or Mo as additive elements, and Ti and inevitable impurities as a balance, wherein
a Cr equivalent calculated on a basis of Formula 1 for a relationship of a Cr content, a Mo content and a Ta content is within the range of more than 0.5 and less than 8.0;
Cr equivalent=[Cr content (% by mass)]+([Mo content (% by mass)]/1.7)+([Ta content (% by mass)]/15) [Formula 1]
and wherein the superelastic alloy contains Ti3Au and Ta3Au intermetallic compounds and has a superelastic shape recovery ratio of 50% or more calculated on a basis of Formula 2 when subjected to a tension test and unloaded residual strain:
superelastic shape recovery ratio (%)=2% deformation plastic strain (%)−residual strain (%)/2% deformation plastic strain×100 [Formula 2]
wherein the plastic strain is a value obtained by subtracting an elastic deformation strain from a total deformation strain.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The superelastic alloy according to claim 1, wherein the additive elements include Au, Cr, and Ta, and the Cr content is 4.0% by mass or more.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The superelastic alloy according to claim 1, wherein the additive elements include Au, Mo, and Ta, and the Mo content is 6.8% by mass or more.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The superelastic alloy according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of a sum of the Ta content and the Ti content to the Au content ([Au content (% by mass)]/[Ta content (% by mass)]+[Ti content (% by mass)]) is less than 0.29.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The superelastic alloy according to claim 1, wherein the sum of the Au content and the Ta content ([Au content (% by mass)]+[Ta content (% by mass)] is 8.0% by mass or more and 40.0% by mass or less.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The superelastic alloy according to claim 2, wherein a ratio of a sum of the Ta content and the Ti content to the Au content ([Au content (% by mass)]/[Ta content (% by mass)]+[Ti content (% by mass)]) is less than 0.29.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The superelastic alloy according to claim 3, wherein a ratio of a sum of the Ta content and the Ti content to the Au content ([Au content (% by mass)]/[Ta content (% by mass)]+[Ti content (% by mass)]) is less than 0.29.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The superelastic alloy according to claim 2, wherein the sum of the Au content and the Ta content ([Au content (% by mass)]+[Ta content (% by mass)] is 8.0% by mass or more and 40.0% by mass or less.

### Claim 9 (depends on 3)

The superelastic alloy according to claim 3, wherein the sum of the Au content and the Ta content ([Au content (% by mass)]+[Ta content (% by mass)] is 8.0% by mass or more and 40.0% by mass or less.

### Claim 10 (depends on 4)

The superelastic alloy according to claim 4, wherein the sum of the Au content and the Ta content ([Au content (% by mass)]+[Ta content (% by mass)] is 8.0% by mass or more and 40.0% by mass or less.