Systems and methods implementing wear-resistant copper-based materials
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsDouglas C. Hofmann, Andrew Kennett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement copper-based materials in applications where resistance to wear is desired. In one embodiment, a wear-resistant gear includes a gear defined by a rotatable body having teeth disposed on an outer surface of the rotatable body, where the gear body is formed at least in part from a material including copper and X, where X is one of zirconium, titanium, hafnium, rutherfordium, and mixtures thereof and where the atomic ratio of copper to X is approximately between 2:3 and 3:2.
Claims18
A wear-resistant alloy comprising:
- Cu, Zr, Al, Be and optionally Z,
- wherein Z is one of:
- Y, Nb, Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, B, C, Si, P, Mo, Pd, Ag, Sn, Sb, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au, and mixtures thereof;
- wherein the atomic % of Cu is at least 39.77;
- wherein the atomic % of Al is between approximately 3% and 10%;
- wherein the atomic % of Be is between approximately 3% and 10%;
- wherein the atomic ratio of Cu to Zr is approximately between 2:3 and 3:2;
- and
- wherein the alloy has the ability to form a metallic glass material.
A wear resistant gear comprising:
- a gear defined by a rotatable body having teeth disposed on an outer surface of the rotatable body;
- wherein the gear is formed at least in part from a material with glass forming ability comprising:
- Cu, Zr, Al, Be and optionally Z,
- wherein Z is one of:
- Y, Nb, Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, B, C, Si, P, Mo, Pd, Ag, Sn, Sb, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au, and mixtures thereof;
- wherein the atomic % of Cu is at least 39.77;
- wherein the atomic % of Al is between approximately 3% and 10%;
- wherein the atomic % of Be is between approximately 3% and 10%;
- wherein the atomic ratio of Cu to Zr is approximately between 2:3 and 3:2;
- and
- wherein the alloy has the ability to form a metallic glass material.
A wear-resistant alloy with glass forming ability comprising:
- Cu, Zr, Al, Be and optionally Z,
- wherein Z is one of:
- Y, Nb, Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, B, C, Si, P, Mo, Pd, Ag, Sn, Sb, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au, and mixtures thereof;
- wherein the atomic % of Cu is at least 39.77;
- wherein the atomic % of Al is between approximately 3% and 10%;
- wherein the atomic % of Be is between approximately 3% and 10%;
- wherein the atomic ratio of Cu to Zr is approximately between 2:3 and 3:2 and
- wherein the alloy has the ability to form a metallic glass material
- wherein the alloy demonstrates volume loss of not more than 13.7×100 mm3 when subjected to a standard pin-on-disk wear resistance test.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.