Case hardening titanium and its alloys
OwnerPaul Francis STRATTONinventor
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Abstract
An article of titanium or a titanium-based alloy is case hardened by heat treatment at a temperate of 750° C. to 850° C. and at a pressure in the order of atmospheric pressure in a diffusion atmosphere. The diffusion atmosphere consists of a carrier gas such as argon which does not react chemically with the article in the said temperature range, and carbon monoxide. The concentration of carbon monoxide in the oxygen diffusion atmosphere is in the range of 20 volumes per million to 400 volumes per million.
Claims10
A method of case hardening an article of a metallic material selected from titanium, and titanium-based alloys, wherein the article is heat treated at a pressure in the range of 0.5 to 2 bar and a temperature in the range of 750° C. to 870° C. in a diffusion atmosphere, comprising (a) a carrier gas which does not react chemically with the article in the said temperature range, and (b) an active gas, wherein the concentration of the active gas in the diffusion atmosphere is in the range of 20 to 400 volumes per million, and wherein the active gas is carbon monoxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.