US 4,786,469 AGranted

Grain refining metals

AssigneeLondon & Scandinavian Metallurgical Co., Ltd.

InventorsGerhard Weber, Winfried Reif

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Abstract

The invention provides a grain refinement method for copper-based metals, which method can be applied to a range of different types of such metals. In accordance with the method, one arranges that a melt of the metal to be grain refined contains each of the following components: (a) titanium and/or zirconium; (b) at least one of: lithium, sodium, potassium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium; (c) at least one of: scandium, yttrium, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, technetium, rhenium, iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, platinum, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, mercury and the rare earth elements; and (d) at least one of: aluminium, gallium, indium, silicon, germanium, tin, lead, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, sulphur, selenium and tellurium; and solidifies the melt to produce grain refinement of the copper-based metal. The invention also provides grain refiners for practicing the method.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A method of grain refining a copper-based metal, the method comprising preparing a melt of a grain refinable copper-based metal to be grain refined which is deficient in at least one of the following components (a) to (d), said components (a) to (d) consisting essentially of:

(a) zirconium;
(b) at least one substance selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium;
(c) at least one substance selected from the group consisting of scandium yttrium, hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, manganese, technetium, rhenium, iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt, rhodium, iridium, nickel, palladium, platinum, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, mercury and the rare earth elements;
and
(d) at least one substance selected from the group consisting of aluminium, gallium, indium, silicon, germanium, tin, lead, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, sulphur, selenium, and tellurium;
introducing said deficient component of components (a) to (d) into said melt of grain-refinable copper-based metal by means of at least one grain-refining additive which consists essentially of at least one of said components (a) to (d) including said deficient component or components, and thereafter solidifying said melt of grain-refinable copper-based metal which now contains each of said components (a) to (d) to produce grain refined copper-based metal.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.