Dual phase magnetic material component and method of its formation
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsShenyan Huang, Steve John Buresh, Min Zou, Wanming Zhang, Pazhayannur Ramanathan Subramanian, Deborah D. Whitis
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Abstract
A dual phase magnetic component, along with methods of its formation, is provided. The dual phase magnetic component may include an intermixed first region and second region formed from a single material, with the first region having a magnetic area and a diffused metal therein, and with the second region having a non-magnetic area. The second region generally has greater than 0.1 weight % of nitrogen.
Claims20
A method of forming a dual-phase magnetic component from an initial component comprising a magnetic ferrous composition and having a surface, the method comprising:
- forming a metal coating on a portion of the surface of the initial component to form a masked area while leaving an unmasked area thereon;
- thereafter, heating the initial component to a treatment temperature in a presence of nitrogen gas such that nitrogen diffuses into the unmasked area of the initial component to transform the magnetic ferrous composition to a non-magnetic austenite composition in the unmasked area;
- and
- thereafter, cooling the initial component from the treatment temperature to form the dual-phase magnetic component having a magnetic region corresponding to the masked area and a non-magnetic region corresponding to the unmasked area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.