Method of making a product with improved material properties by moderate heat-treatment of a metal incorporating a dilute additive

Abstract

Deposition of metal in a preferred shape, including coatings on parts, or stand-alone materials, and subsequent heat treatment to provide improved mechanical properties. In particular, the method gives products with relatively high yield strength. The products often have relatively high elastic modulus, and are thermally stable, maintaining the high yield strength at temperatures considerably above 25.degree. C. This technique involves depositing a material in the presence of a selected additive, and then subjecting the deposited material to a moderate heat treatment. This moderate heat treatment differs from other commonly employed "stress relief" heat treatments in using lower temperatures and/or shorter times, preferably just enough to reorganize the material to the new, desired form. Coating a shape and heat treating provides a shaped deposit with improved material properties. Coating a shape with a portion connected to a base and a portion detached therefrom can provide a resilient, conductive contact useful for electronic applications.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.