Grain growth inhibitor for superfine materials

The superfine material of claim 7, further comprising

• reducing, carburizing, or nitriding the superfine material intermediate/precursor composite to form the product superfine materials or to convert the grain growth inhibitor precursor to the grain growth inhibitor or a combination thereof.

A superfine material, made by a method comprising

• incorporating a grain growth inhibitor polymeric precursor into an already-synthesized superfine intermediate material;
• and
• treating the intermediate material to convert the precursor to a grain growth inhibitor.

A method of incorporating a grain growth inhibitor into a superfine material, comprising

• incorporating a grain growth inhibitor polymeric precursor, synthesized by treating a mixture of boric acid and urea in water with ammonia, into an already-synthesized superfine material;
• and
• treating the superfine material or intermediate material to convert the precursor to a grain growth inhibitor.

A superfine material comprising

• an inorganic boron compound as a grain growth inhibitor, wherein
• the superfine material is selected from the group consisting of metal nitrides, metal ceramics, ceramics, ceramic-ceramic composites, intermetallics, Cu, FeCu, FeCo, NiAl, MoC, MoSi, NiCr, TiC, Mo2Si, NiCr/Cr3C2, Fe/TiC, Ni/TiC, Mo/TiC, WC/Co, the forgoing alloyed with one or more of Ti, Cr, Mo, Ni, Zr, Ce, Fe, Al, Si, V, TiC, Mn, Y, W, and mixtures thereof.

A superfine material comprising

• boron nitride as a grain growth inhibitor, wherein
• the superfine material is selected from the group consisting of metal nitrides, metal ceramics, ceramics, ceramic-ceramic composites, intermetallics, Cu, FeCu, FeCo, NiAl, MoC, MoSi, NiCr, TiC, Mo2Si, NiCr/Cr3C2, Fe/TiC, Ni/TiC, Mo/TiC, WC/Co, the forgoing alloyed with one or more of Ti, Cr, Mo, Ni, Zr, Ce, Fe, Al, Si, V, TiC, Mn, Y, W, and mixtures thereof.

A superfine alloy comprising

• one of Cu, FeCu, FeCo, NiAl, MoC, MoSi, NiCr, TiC, Mo2Si, NiCr/Cr3C2, Fe/TiC, Ni/TiC, Mo/TiC, WC/Co alloyed with one or more of Ti, Cr, Mo, Ni, Zr, Ce, Fe, Al, Si, V, TiC, Mn, Y, and W.

A superfine alloy comprising

• WC/Co alloyed with at least one of Cr, TiC, and Mo.