Method for rapid solidification processing of multiphase alloys having large liquidus-solidus temperature intervals

A method of rapidly solidifying an alloy having a large liquidus-solidus temperature interval as compared to the liquidus temperature of the final alloy, the completely solidified alloy having a constituent in the submicron range, made from components which have been chemically reacted together, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first starting alloy having a solvent and a chemically reactable component, said first starting alloy having a predetermined liquidus temperature;
• providing a second starting alloy having a solvent and a component chemically reactable with said first mentioned component, said second starting alloy having a predetermined liquidus temperature;
• melting said first and second starting alloys;
• mixing said melted starting alloys in a melt mix reaction mixing zone at a temperature less than the liquidus temperature of the final alloy, the mixing temperature being at or above the higher of the liquidus temperatures of the starting alloys;
• ejecting the melted alloys from a nozzle, the chemical reaction taking place either in the mixing zone or nozzle or both, with the mixing time controlled by the mixing zone and nozzle to provide a sufficiently short dwell time such that the subsequent cooling period for the rapid solidification of the mixed starting alloys is short enough to provide a macroscopic homogeneous dispersion of submicron particles of the constituent in the host;
• and
• rapidly solidifying the ejected alloys to produce a completely solidified alloy.

A method of rapidly solidifying an alloy having a predetermined liquidus-solidus temperature interval so as to produce a dispersion of a submicron constituent in a final alloy, the constituent having been made from components which have been chemically reacted together, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first starting alloy having a chemically reactable component, said first starting alloy having a predetermined liquidus temperature;
• providing a second starting alloy having a component chemically reactable with said first mentioned component, said second starting alloy having predetermined liquidus temperature;
• melting said first and second starting alloys;
• mixing said melted starting alloys in a melt mix reaction mixing zone at a temperature less than the liquidus temperature of the final alloy, the mixing temperature being at or above the higher of the liquidus temperatures of the starting alloys;
• ejecting the melted alloys from a nozzle, the chemical reaction taking place either in the mixing zone or nozzle or both, with the mixing time controlled by the mixing zone and nozzle to provide a sufficiently short dwell time such that the subsequent cooling period for the rapid solidification of the mixed starting alloys is short enough to provide a homogeneous dispersion of submicron particles of the constituent in the host;
• and
• rapidly solidifying the ejected alloys to produce a completely solidified alloy.