Processes for making metal rings formed from beryllium-copper alloys
AssigneeMaterion Corporation
InventorsJeffrey M. Schirm, Christopher W. Damschroder, Edward B. Longenberger, Jeffrey A. McBride
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Processes are disclosed for forming beryllium-copper metal rings having a fine and uniform grain structure. A raw BeCu casting is pre-forged and turned to form a BeCu billet. The BeCu billet is subjected to various heat treatment and cooling cycles to obtain/maintain combinations of advantageous material properties. Generally, the BeCu billet is preheated, hot worked via forging, heated again, hot worked again via ring rolling followed by air cooling, solution annealed followed by quenching, and heated a final time followed by air cooling.
Claims19
A process for making a metal ring from a BeCu alloy, comprising:
- preheating a BeCu alloy billet at a temperature of about 800° C. to about 850° C., wherein the BeCu alloy comprises about 1.6 wt % to about 2.0 wt % beryllium;
- forging the billet into a ring-shaped preform at a temperature of about 750° C. to about 850° C.;
- soaking the preform at a temperature of about 815° C. to about 835° C.;
- ring rolling the preform at a temperature of about 750° C. to about 850° C. to form a ring having a wall thickness, wherein the ring rolling reduces the wall thickness by at least 50%;
- solution annealing the ring at a temperature of about 780° C. to about 800° C., immediately followed by quenching the ring, wherein the solution annealing is performed for a period of about 30 minutes for approximately every 25 mm of wall thickness of the ring;
- and
- heat treating the ring at a temperature of about 385° C. to about 400° C.
A process for making a metal ring comprising:
- providing a billet made from a BeCu alloy comprising about 1.6 wt % to about 2.0 wt % beryllium;
- preheating the billet at a temperature of about 800° C. to about 850° C. for a period of at least 8 hours;
- forming a ring-shaped preform from the billet at a temperature of about 750° C. to about 850° C.;
- soaking the preform at a temperature of about 815° C. to about 835° C. for a period of about 2 hours to about 8 hours;
- ring rolling the preform at a temperature of about 750° C. to about 850° C. until the preform has a substantially uniform wall thickness, followed by air cooling;
- solution annealing the preform at a temperature of about 780° C. to about 800° C. for a period of at least 1.5 hours, immediately followed by quenching in a quench medium, wherein the solution annealing is performed for a period of about 30 minutes for approximately every 25 mm of wall thickness of the ring;
- heat treating the preform at a temperature of about 385° C. to about 400° C. for a period of about 3 hours, followed by air cooling;
- and,
- mechanically machining the preform to form the metal ring having a desired shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.