# US 10,870,148 B2 · Aluminum alloy powder metal with transition elements > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,870,148 B2 - Document ID: US10870148B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/993,942 - Filed: 2011-12-14 - Published: 2013-11-21 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-12-15 - Assignees: GKN Sinter Metals, LLC - Applicants: Donald Paul Bishop; Richard L. Hexemer, Jr.; Ian W. Donaldson; Randy William Cooke - Inventors: Donald Paul Bishop; Richard L. Hexemer, Jr.; Ian W. Donaldson; Randy William Cooke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870148B2 ## CPC - B22F 9/082: {atomising using a fluid (using centrifugal force B22F9/10)} - B22F 1/12: Metallic powder containing non-metallic particles (containing lubricating or binding agents or organic material B22F1/10) - C22C 32/0047: {with carbides, nitrides, borides or silicides as the main non-metallic constituents} - B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F) ## Abstract A transition element-doped aluminum powder metal and a method of making this powder metal are disclosed. The method of making includes forming an aluminum-transition element melt in which a transition element content of the aluminum-transition element melt is less than 6 percent by weight. The aluminum-transition element melt then powderized to form a transition element-doped aluminum powder metal. The powderization may occur by, for example, air atomization. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of making a powder metal part, the method comprising: forming an aluminum-transition element melt consisting of a 2324 aluminum alloy with additions of transition elements of 1 weight percent iron and 1 weight percent nickel as a total weight percent of the aluminum-transition element melt; powderizing the aluminum-transition element melt to form a transition element-doped aluminum powder metal; and compacting and sintering the transition element-doped aluminum powder metal to form the powder metal part in which compacting and sintering the transition element-doped aluminum powder metal to form the powder metal part involves separately compacting the transition element-doped aluminum powder metal to form a compact and then subsequently sintering the compact, wherein the sintering consists of heating in a furnace environment to form the powder metal part; wherein a concentration of the transition elements in the powder metal part is equal to a concentration of the transition elements found in the transition element-doped aluminum powder metal used to form the powder metal part and wherein the concentration of the transition elements in the powder metal part is equal to a concentration of the transition elements found in the aluminum-transition element melt. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of powderizing includes air atomizing the aluminum-transition element melt. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein powderizing the aluminum-transition element melt to form a transition element-doped aluminum powder metal includes at least one of atomizing with a gas, comminution, grinding, chemical reaction, and electrolytic deposition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the gas is one of argon, nitrogen, and helium. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the powder metal part formed from the transition element-doped aluminum powder metal has fewer intermetallics formed along grain boundaries of the part in comparison to a powder metal part made from a powder metal of similar composition but with the transition element added as an elemental powder or as part of a master alloy. ### Claim 6 A method of making a powder metal part, the method comprising: forming an aluminum-transition element melt consisting of a 2324 aluminum alloy with additions of transition elements of 1 weight percent iron and 1 weight percent nickel as a total weight percent of the aluminum-transition element melt; powderizing the aluminum-transition element melt to form a transition element-doped aluminum powder metal in which a concentration of the transition elements in the transition element-doped aluminum powder metal is equal to a concentration of the transition elements found in the aluminum-transition element melt; and compacting and sintering a mixture consisting of the transition element-doped aluminum powder metal and at least one ceramic additive up to 15 volume percent to form the powder metal part in which compacting and sintering the transition element-doped aluminum powder metal and the at least one ceramic additive to form the powder metal part involves compacting the transition element-doped aluminum powder metal and the at least one ceramic additive to form a compact and then subsequently sintering the compact, wherein the sintering consists of heating in a furnace environment to form the powder metal part. ### Claim 7 A method of making a powder metal part, the method comprising: forming an aluminum-alloying element melt consisting of a 2324 aluminum alloy with additions of alloying elements of 1 weight percent iron and 1 weight percent nickel as a total weight percent of the aluminum-alloying element melt; powderizing the aluminum-alloying element melt to form an alloying element-doped aluminum powder metal wherein the alloying elements form an intermetallic phase with the aluminum and wherein the intermetallic phase is homogenously dispersed throughout alloying element-doped aluminum powder metal; and compacting and sintering the alloying element-doped aluminum powder metal to form the powder metal part in which compacting and sintering the alloying element-doped aluminum powder metal to form the powder metal part involves separately compacting the alloying element-doped aluminum powder metal to form a compact and then subsequently sintering the compact, wherein the sintering consists of heating in a furnace environment to form the powder metal part; wherein a concentration of the alloying elements in the powder metal part is equal to a concentration of the alloying elements found in the alloying element-doped aluminum powder metal used to form the powder metal part and wherein the concentration of the alloying elements in the powder metal part is equal to a concentration of the alloying elements found in the aluminum-alloying element melt. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein at least one ceramic additive is SiC. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein at least one ceramic additive is AIN.