Copper-nickel-tin-cobalt spinodal alloy
AssigneePfizer Inc.
InventorRonald J. Livak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An age hardened spinodally decomposed alloy prepared by powder metallurgy consisting essentially of from about 5 to about 30 percent by weight nickel, from about 4 to about 13 percent by weight tin, from about 0.5 to about 3.5 percent by weight cobalt and the balance copper exhibits an excellent combination of strength, ductility, formability and electrical conductivity characteristics.
Claims31
A copper base spinodal alloy prepared by powder metallurgy consisting essentially of from about 5 to about 30 percent by weight nickel, from about 4 to about 13 percent by weight tin, from about 0.5 to about 3.5 percent by weight cobalt and the balance copper, said alloy having an unaged microstructure characterized by an equiaxed grain structure of substantially all alpha, face-centered-cubic phase with a substantially uniform dispersed concentration of tin and a substantial absence of tin segregation.
A process for preparing a copper base spinodal alloy body which comprises:
- (a) providing a copper base alloy powder consisting essentially of from about 5 to about 30 percent by weight nickel, from about 4 to about 13 percent by weight tin, from about 0.5 to about 3.5 percent by weight cobalt, and the balance copper;
- (b) compacting the alloy powder to form a green body having structural integrity and sufficient porosity to be penetrated by a reducing atmosphere;
- (c) sintering the green body in the reducing atmosphere to form a metallurgical bond;
- (d) cooling the sintered body at a rate such that age hardening and embrittlement are prevented;
- (e) working the sintered body to a substantially fully dense condition;
- and
- (f) annealing the worked body and quenching it at a rate sufficient to retain substantially all alpha phase.
A process for preparing a copper base spinodal alloy body which comprises:
- (a) providing a copper base alloy powder consisting essentially of from about 5 to about 30 percent by weight nickel, from about 4 to about 13 percent by weight tin, from about 0.5 to about 3.5 percent by weight cobalt, and the balance copper;
- (b) compacting the alloy powder to form a green body having structural integrity and sufficient porosity to be penetrated by a reducing atmosphere;
- (c) sintering the green body in the reducing atmosphere to form a metallurgical bond;
- (d) hot working the sintered body to a substantially fully dense condition;
- and
- (e) rapidly cooling the hot worked body at a rate sufficient to retain substantially all alpha phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.