# US 5,350,437 A · Method of manufacturing an alloy powder with hard particles dispersed therein > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,350,437 A - Document ID: US5350437A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/032,308 - Filed: 1993-03-17 - Granted: 1994-09-27 - Earliest claimed: 1991-05-27 - Assignees: Daido Tokushuko Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yasushi Watanabe; Hiroshi Endo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5350437A ## CPC - C22C 1/05: Mixtures of metal powder with non-metallic powder (C22C1/08 takes precedence) - B22F 1/00: Metallic powder; Treatment of metallic powder, e.g. to facilitate working or to improve properties - B22F 1/052: characterised by a mixture of particles of different sizes or by the particle size distribution - B22F 1/06: Metallic powder characterised by the shape of the particles (nanosized particles B22F1/054) - C22C 1/1084: {by mechanical alloying (blending, milling)} - B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps - C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F) - 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 ## Abstract This invention provides a minute alloy powder with hard particles uniformly dispersed therein. The alloy powder may be used as a grinder material for finishing a specular surface or surfaces of other precision instruments or as a material for cladding and strengthening a surface of a parent material by welding the alloy powder. This alloy powder is manufactured by first blending metal or alloy particle powder having a particle diameter between 0.1.mu. and 300.mu., hard particle powder having a particle diameter between 0.1.mu. and 50.mu., and an organic binder. The resulting material mixture is granulated into granulated powder having a particle diameter between 300.mu. and 80,000.mu., and the powder is welded or dissolved with electric arc or plasma arc. The resulting welded bead or ingot is machined with a shaper into shavings, and the shavings are ground with a stamping mill into powder. The powder is classified such that the alloy powder having a particle diameter between 10.mu. and 10,000.mu. is sorted out. Since prior to the grinding step the powder, having a very minute particle diameter, is granulated, the time period required for the grinding step can be reduced to one third of that of the prior art. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for manufacturing an alloy powder having hard particles dispersed therein, said method comprising the steps of: blending one of a metal base material and a metal alloy base material, having a particle diameter between about 0.1 microns and 300 microns; a hard particle powder selected from the group consisting of metal borides, carbides, silicides, oxides, nitrides or mixture thereof, having a particle diameter between about 0.1 microns and 50 microns; and an organic binder to form a material mixture; granulating said material mixture of particles and binder into a granulated powder having a particle diameter suitable for forming a metal and particle containing bead when heated; heating said granulated powder to a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient period of time to form a welded bead; mechanically grinding said welded bead into a ground powder; and classifying said ground powder. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: prior to the step of mechanically grinding said welded bead, storing said welded bead at a temperature between about 0.4 and 1.6 times the melting temperature of said base material for a period of time sufficient to soften the welded bead; and cooling said welded bead. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 2, further comprising the step of: machining said welded bead with a shaper into shavings, prior to the step of mechanically grinding said welded bead and after the step of storing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 2, wherein said classifying step comprises: sorting said ground powder to particle diameters of between about 10 microns and 10,000 microns. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 4, wherein said classifying steps comprises: sorting said ground powder to particle diameters of between about 10 microns and 10,000 microns. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 1, further comprising the step of: prior to the step of mechanically grinding said welded bead, machining said welded bead with a shaper into shavings. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 6, wherein said classifying step comprises: sorting said ground powder to particle diameters of between about 10 microns and 10,000 microns. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 1, wherein said classifying step comprises sorting said ground powder to particle diameters of between about 10 microns and 10,000 microns. ### Claim 9 A method for manufacturing an alloy powder having hard particles dispersed therein, said method comprising the steps of: blending one of a metal base material and a metal alloy base material, having a particle diameter between about 0.1 microns and 300 microns; a hard particle powder selected from the group consisting of metal borides, carbides, silicides, oxides, nitrides or mixtures thereof, having a particle diameter between about 0.1 microns and 50 microns; and an organic binder to form a material mixture; granulating said material mixture into a granulated powder having a particle diameter suitable to be dissolved with one of an electric arc and a plasma arc; heating and dissolving said granulated powder with one of said electric arc and said plasma arc until said granulated powder is formed into a fused metal which accumulates and coagulates into an ingot; mechanically grinding said ingot into a ground powder; and classifying said ground powder. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 9, further comprising the step of: prior to heating and dissolving said granulated powder, outgassing and annealing said granulated powder at a temperature between about 0.4 and 1.6 times the melting temperature of said base material in one of a flow of hydrogen, a flow of inert gas and a vacuum. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 10, further comprising the step of: prior to the step of mechanically grinding said ingot, storing said ingot at a temperature between about 0.4 and 1.6 times the melting temperature of said base material for a period of time sufficient to soften the ingot; and cooling said ingot. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 10, further comprising the step of: prior to the step of mechanically grinding said ingot, machining said ingot with a shaper into shavings. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 9, further comprising the step of: prior to the step of mechanically grinding said ingot, storing said ingot at a temperature between about 0.4 and 1.6 times the melting temperature of said base material for a period of time sufficient to soften the ingot; and cooling said ingot. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 13, further comprising the step of: machining said ingot with a shaper into shavings, prior to the step of mechanically grinding said ingot and after the step of storing said ingot. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 9, further comprising the step of: prior to the step of mechanically grinding said ingot, machining said ingot with a shaper into shavings. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) A method for manufacturing an alloy powder according to claim 9, wherein said classifying step comprises: sorting said ground powder to particle diameters of between about 10 microns and 10,000 microns.