# US 2020/0399743 A1 · Composite materials based on tungsten carbide and having noble metal binders, and method for producing said composite materials > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0399743 A1 - Document ID: US20200399743A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/979,080 - Filed: 2019-03-08 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-09 - Assignees: UniversitäT Rostock; HNP Mikrosysteme GmbH - Applicants: Universität Rostock; HNP Mikrosysteme GmbH - Inventors: Carsten DAMERAU; Wiktor BODNAR; Eberhard BURKEL - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200399743A1 ## CPC - C22C 29/067: {comprising a particular metallic binder} - A61M 60/122: Implantable pumps or pumping devices, i.e. the blood being pumped inside the patient's body - B22F 3/105: by using electric current {other than for infrared radiant energy}, laser radiation or plasma (B22F3/11 takes precedence){; by ultrasonic bonding (B22F3/115 takes precedence)} - C04B 35/5626: {based on tungsten carbides} - C04B 35/645: Pressure sintering - C22C 29/08: based on tungsten carbide - B22F 2003/1051: {by electric discharge} - B22F 2301/25: Noble metals, i.e. Ag Au, Ir, Os, Pd, Pt, Rh, Ru - B22F 2302/10: Carbide - C04B 2235/408: Noble metals - C04B 2235/5445: submicron sized, i.e. from 0,1 to 1 micron - C04B 2235/5454: nanometer sized, i.e. below 100 nm - C04B 2235/6562: Heating rate - C04B 2235/6581: Total pressure below 1 atmosphere, e.g. vacuum - C04B 2235/666: Applying a current during sintering, e.g. plasma sintering [SPS], electrical resistance heating or pulse electric current sintering [PECS] - C04B 2235/72: Products characterised by the absence or the low content of specific components, e.g. alkali metal free alumina ceramics - C04B 2235/77: Density - C04B 2235/785: Submicron sized grains, i.e. from 0,1 to 1 micron - C04B 2235/80: Phases present in the sintered or melt-cast ceramic products other than the main phase - C04B 2235/96: Properties of ceramic products, e.g. mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, wear resistance - C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - 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 - C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE ## Abstract The invention relates to composite materials based on tungsten carbide and comprising gold, palladium and/or platinum and to a method for producing said composite materials by sintering. By means of the FAST method, hard and biocompatible WC/(Au, Pd, Pt) composite materials can be produced, inter alia for use as coatings on tools and prostheses and as solid bodies in, for example, blood pumps. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A composite material based on tungsten carbide, further comprising at least one or more noble metals selected from the group of gold, palladium and platinum, in which the composite material contains 80 weight percent to 98 weight percent tungsten carbide and 2 weight percent to 20 weight percent noble metals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The composite material according to claim 1, in which the noble metal is palladium and/or platinum. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The composite material according to claim 1, consisting of 80 weight percent to 98 weight percent tungsten carbide and 2 weight percent to 20 weight percent noble metals and less than 3 atomic percent of other atoms. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The composite material according to claim 1, comprised of: 85 weight percent to 98 weight percent tungsten carbide and 2 weight percent to 15 weight percent noble metals, and less than 3 atomic percent of other atoms. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The composite material according to claim 1, which can be produced by sintering, in particular with the FAST method. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method for producing the composite material according to claim 1 by sintering. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6 by sintering with the FAST method, comprising the following steps: providing a powder or powder mixture respectively, comprised of at least tungsten carbide and one or more noble metals, exposing the powder or powder mixture respectively to a voltage below 10 V, a current from 0.5 kA to 10 kA, and a pressure from 10 MPa to 300 MPa. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, in which the method is carried out in a vacuum or an inert gas atmosphere. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, in which the powder or powder mixture respectively is heated at a heating rate up to 1000 K/min, to 1000° C. to 2000° C., at a pressure of 10 MPa to 300 MPa, and is cooled afterward. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A working equipment having work surfaces coated or consisting of the composite material or comprising a machine component consisting of the composite material as a solid body according to claim 1. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The working equipment according to claim 10, in which the working equipment is a tool, a pump, part of a pump and in particular a pump head. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The working equipment according to claim 11, in which the pump is a pump for biological fluids. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The working equipment according to claim 10, in which the working equipment is an implant or a prosthesis and the body material of the implant or prosthesis is made of titanium or tantalum or alloys including titanium and/or tantalum and is coated with the composite material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The working equipment according to claim 11, in which the tool, the pump, part of a pump or the pump head exist as a solid body made of the composite material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The composite material according to claim 1, comprised of: 92 weight percent to 95 weight percent tungsten carbide and 5 weight percent to 8 weight percent noble metals and less than 3 atomic percent of other atoms. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, in which the powder or powder mixture respectively is heated at a heating rate of greater than 100 K/min to 1400° C. to 1800° C., at a pressure of 50 MPa to 120 MPa and is cooled afterward. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The working equipment according to claim 12, in which the biological fluids is blood. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The working equipment according to claim 11, in which the pump is a microfluidic pump.