# US 2022/0033949 A1 · Nickel-titanium-yttrium alloys with reduced oxide inclusions

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- Number: US 2022/0033949 A1
- Document ID: US20220033949A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/499,521
- Filed: 2021-10-12
- Published: 2022-02-03
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-20
- Assignees: Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation
- Applicants: Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corp
- Inventors: Song Cai; Jeremy E. Schaffer; Adam J. Griebel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220033949A1

## CPC

- A61F 2/86: Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
- C22C 19/03: based on nickel
- A61L 27/06: Titanium or titanium alloys
- A61L 31/022: {Metals or alloys}
- C21D 8/02: during manufacturing of plates or strips (C21D8/12 takes precedence)
- C21D 8/06: during manufacturing of rods or wires
- C21D 9/08: for tubular bodies or pipes
- C21D 9/46: for sheet metals
- C21D 9/525: {for wire, for rods (C21D9/54 takes precedence)}
- C22C 1/02: by melting {(C22C1/1036 takes precedence)}
- C22F 1/00: Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working (apparatus for mechanical working of metal B21, B23, B24)
- C22F 1/10: of nickel or cobalt or alloys based thereon
- A61F 2240/001: Designing or manufacturing processes
- A61L 2400/16: Materials with shape-memory or superelastic properties
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- C21D: MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass C23F17/00; unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials or unidirectional demixing of eutectoid materials C30B)
- C22F: CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass, C23F17/00)

## Abstract

A nickel-titanium alloy is made to be wholly or substantially free of titanium-rich oxide inclusions by including yttrium in an amount up to 0.15 wt. %, with the balance of the alloy being nickel and titanium in approximately equal proportion. For example, a NiTiY alloy may have a composition including, in weight percent based on total alloy weight: between 50 and 60 wt. % nickel; between 40 and 50 wt. % titanium; and between 0.01 and 0.15 wt. % yttrium. The resulting alloy is capable of being drawn into various forms, e.g., fine medical-grade wire, without exhibiting an unacceptable tendency to develop surface defects or to fracture or crack during cold drawing or forging. The resulting final forms exhibit favorable fatigue strength and fatigue-resistant characteristics.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-6. (canceled)

### Claim 7

A nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy, comprising:
at least 20 wt. % nickel;
between 35 wt. % titanium and 55 wt. % titanium;
between 0.01 wt. % yttrium and 0.15 wt. % yttrium; and
at least one of:
copper between 1 wt. % and 10 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of nickel;
niobium between 1 wt. % and 15 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium;
hafnium between 0.5 wt. % and 50 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium;
zirconium between 0.5 wt. % and 35 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium;
cobalt between 0.1 wt. % and 5 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium, nickel, or a combination of titanium and nickel;
chromium between 0.1 wt. % and 1 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium; and
iron between 0.1 wt. % and 10 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium, nickel, or a combination of titanium and nickel.

### Claim at position 3

8-11. (canceled)

### Claim 12

A method of making a nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy, comprising:
providing at least 20 wt. % nickel;
providing between 35 wt. % titanium and 55 wt. % titanium;
providing between 0.01 wt. % yttrium and 0.15 wt. % yttrium;
providing at least one of:
copper between 1 wt. % and 10 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of nickel;
niobium between 1 wt. % and 15 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium;
hafnium between 0.5 wt. % and 50 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium;
zirconium between 0.5 wt. % and 35 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium;
cobalt between 0.1 wt. % and 5 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium, nickel, or a combination of titanium and nickel;
chromium between 0.1 wt. % and 1 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium; and
iron between 0.1 wt. % and 10 wt. %, in lieu of an equal amount of titanium, nickel, or a combination of titanium and nickel; and
forming an ingot including the nickel, the titanium and the yttrium, the ingot further including at least one of the copper, the niobium, the hafnium, the zirconium, the cobalt, the chromium and the iron.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising forming the ingot into a fine wire having a diameter of up to 1 mm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising forming the ingot into an intermediate construct comprising one of a rod, wire, tube, sheet or plate by repetitive cold-forming and annealing cycles.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising forming the intermediate construct into a fine wire having a diameter of up to 1 mm.