# US 2019/0169719 A1 · Atomized picoscale composition aluminum alloy and method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0169719 A1 - Document ID: US20190169719A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/273,522 - Filed: 2019-02-12 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2006-10-27 - Assignees: Technium, LLC - Applicants: Technium, LLC - Inventors: Thomas G. Haynes, III; Martin Walcher; Martin Balog - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190169719A1 ## CPC - C22C 32/0057: {based on B4C} - B22F 1/12: Metallic powder containing non-metallic particles (containing lubricating or binding agents or organic material B22F1/10) - B22F 3/10: Sintering only - B22F 3/12: Both compacting and sintering (by forging B22F3/17) - B22F 3/20: by extruding - B22F 5/00: Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the special shape of the product - B22F 7/008: {characterised by the composition} - B22F 9/04: starting from solid material, e.g. by crushing, grinding or milling ({C22C1/1084 takes precedence}; crushing, grinding or milling, in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B02C) - C22C 1/0416: {Aluminium-based alloys} - C22C 1/051: Making hard metals based on borides, carbides, nitrides, oxides or silicides; Preparation of the powder mixture used as the starting material therefor - C22C 21/00: Alloys based on aluminium - C22C 32/00: Non-ferrous alloys containing at least 5% by weight but less than 50% by weight of oxides, carbides, borides, nitrides, silicides or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides, sulfides, whether added as such or formed in situ - C22C 32/0036: {Matrix based on Al, Mg, Be or alloys thereof} - G21F 1/08: Metals; Alloys; Cermets, i.e. sintered mixtures of ceramics and metals - B22F 2003/208: {Warm or hot extruding} - B22F 2009/041: {by mechanical alloying, e.g. blending, milling} - B22F 2301/052: Aluminium - B22F 2302/10: Carbide - B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps - C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - G21F: PROTECTION AGAINST X-RADIATION, GAMMA RADIATION, CORPUSCULAR RADIATION OR PARTICLE BOMBARDMENT; TREATING RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED MATERIAL; DECONTAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS THEREFOR (radiation protection by pharmaceutical means A61K8/00, A61Q17/04; in cosmonautic vehicles B64G1/54; combined with a reactor G21C11/00; combined with X-ray tubes H01J35/16; combined with X-ray apparatus H05G1/02) ## Abstract The invention is a process for manufacturing a nano aluminum/alumina metal matrix composite and composition produced therefrom. The process is characterized by providing an aluminum powder having a natural oxide formation layer and an aluminum oxide content between about 0.1 and about 4.5 wt. % and a specific surface area of from about 0.3 and about 5 m2/g, hot working the aluminum powder, and forming a superfine grained matrix aluminum alloy. Simultaneously there is formed in situ a substantially uniform distribution of nano particles of alumina. The alloy has a substantially linear property/temperature profile, such that physical properties such as strength are substantially maintained even at temperatures of 250° C. and above. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for manufacturing a nano aluminum composite, comprising the steps of: a) providing an aluminum powder having a natural oxide formation layer and an aluminum oxide content between about 0.1 and about 4.5 wt. % and a specific surface area of from about 0.3 and about 5.0 m2/g, the aluminum powder having a d90 particle size of about 2.3 microns and a d10 particle size of about 0.6 microns; b) hot working the aluminum powder at a temperature below the recrystallization temperature of the powder, and forming thereby a superfine grained matrix aluminum alloy; and c) simultaneously with the hot working of step b), redistributing the aluminum powder into uniformly dispersed nano particles of alumina throughout said alloy; d) subsequent to steps b) and c), blending the superfine grained matrix aluminum alloy with a ceramic particulate to form a powder mixture, whereby the powder mixture comprises about 5 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of the ceramic particulate; wherein said superfine grained matrix aluminum alloy has an average particle size of about 200 nm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein step b) of hot working is carried out at a temperature less than the melting point of said alloy. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the aluminum powder of step a) has a d50 particle size of about 1.3 microns. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic particulate is selected from the group consisting of silica, silicon carbide, boron carbide, boron nitride, titanium oxide, titanium diboride, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The process according to claim 4, wherein the powder mixture is sintered to form a billet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The processing according to claim 1, wherein the natural layer of aluminum oxide on the aluminum powder of step a) has a thickness of between 3-7 nm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein said process is free of mechanical alloying. ### Claim 8 A process for manufacturing a nano aluminum composite, comprising the steps of: a) providing an aluminum powder having a natural oxide formation layer and an aluminum oxide content between about 0.1 and about 4.5 wt. % and a specific surface area of from about 0.3 and about 5.0 m2/g; b) hot working the aluminum powder at a temperature below the recrystallization temperature of the powder, and forming thereby a superfine grained matrix aluminum alloy; and c) simultaneously with the hot working of step b), redistributing the aluminum powder into uniformly dispersed nano particles of alumina throughout said alloy; d) subsequent to steps b) and c), blending the superfine grained matrix aluminum alloy with a ceramic particulate to form a powder mixture, the ceramic particulate comprising boron carbide having a particle size distribution of 100% less than about 250 microns and the boron carbide is nuclear grade; e) sintering the powder mixture to form a billet; wherein said superfine grained matrix aluminum alloy has an average particle size of about 200 nm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, wherein step b) of hot working is carried out at a temperature less than the melting point of said alloy. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, subsequent to steps b) and c), whereby the powder mixture comprises about 5 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of the ceramic particulate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The processing according to claim 8, wherein the natural layer of aluminum oxide on the aluminum powder of step a) has a thickness of between 3-7 nm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The process according to claim 8, wherein said process is free of mechanical alloying. ### Claim 13 A process for manufacturing a nano aluminum composite, comprising the steps of: a) providing an aluminum powder having a natural oxide formation layer and an aluminum oxide content between about 0.1 and about 4.5 wt. % and a specific surface area of from about 0.3 and about 5.0 m2/g, the aluminum powder having a particle size of less than about 30 μm in diameter and the natural layer of aluminum oxide has a thickness of between 3-7 nm; b) hot working the aluminum powder at a temperature below the recrystallization temperature of the powder, and forming thereby a superfine grained matrix aluminum alloy; and c) simultaneously with the hot working of step b), redistributing the aluminum powder into uniformly dispersed nano particles of alumina throughout said alloy; d) subsequent to steps b) and c), blending the superfine grained matrix aluminum alloy with a ceramic particulate to form a powder mixture, whereby the powder mixture comprises about 5 wt. % to about 40 wt. % of the ceramic particulate; wherein said superfine grained matrix aluminum alloy has an average particle size of about 200 nm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The process according to claim 13, wherein subsequent to step d), sintering the powder mixture to form a billet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The process according to claim 13, wherein the ceramic particulate is selected from the group consisting of silica, silicon carbide, boron carbide, boron nitride, titanium oxide, titanium diboride, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The aluminum alloy of claim 15, wherein the ceramic particulate is boron carbide having a particle size distribution of 100% less than about 250 microns and the boron carbide is nuclear grade. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The process according to claim 13, wherein step b) of hot working is carried out at a temperature less than the melting point of said alloy. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The process according to claim 13, wherein said process is free of mechanical alloying.