# US 9,435,015 B2 · Heat treatment method and heat treatment apparatus

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- Number: US 9,435,015 B2
- Document ID: US9435015B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/617,056
- Filed: 2012-09-14
- Published: 2013-01-03
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2010-11-01
- Assignees: NGK Insulators, Ltd.; Yokohama National University
- Applicants: Mahoto Takeda; Naokuni Muramatsu; Ryota Takeuchi
- Inventors: Mahoto Takeda; Naokuni Muramatsu; Ryota Takeuchi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435015B2

## CPC

- C22F 1/08: of copper or alloys based thereon
- C21D 9/52: for wires; for strips {; for rods of unlimited length}
- C22F 1/00: Changing the physical structure of non-ferrous metals or alloys by heat treatment or by hot or cold working (apparatus for mechanical working of metal B21, B23, B24)
- C22F 1/047: of alloys with magnesium as the next major constituent
- C22F: CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass, C23F17/00)
- C21D: MODIFYING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF FERROUS METALS; GENERAL DEVICES FOR HEAT TREATMENT OF FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS METALS OR ALLOYS; MAKING METAL MALLEABLE, e.g. BY DECARBURISATION OR TEMPERING (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass C23F17/00; unidirectional solidification of eutectic materials or unidirectional demixing of eutectoid materials C30B)

## Abstract

A heat treatment method according to the present invention includes a preliminary-state-generating step of heat-treating an alloy that undergoes multiple-step transformation with temperature by bringing the alloy in contact with a contact-type heating element for 0.01 sec or more and 3.0 sec or less, the contact-type heating element being adjusted to a particular temperature within a preliminary-state-generating temperature region determined on the basis of a first temperature related to a particular first transformation of the alloy and a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature, related to a particular second transformation of the alloy so as to generate a preliminary state in the alloy.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heat treatment method for heat-treating an alloy that undergoes multiple-step transformation with temperature, the method comprising:
a preliminary-state-generating step of heat-treating the alloy by bringing the alloy in contact with a contact-type heating element for 0.01 sec or more and 3.0 sec or less, the contact-type heating element being adjusted to a particular temperature within a preliminary-state-generating temperature region determined on the basis of a first temperature related to a particular first transformation of the alloy and a second temperature, which is higher than the first temperature, related to a particular second transformation of the alloy so as to generate a preliminary state in the alloy.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heat treatment method according to claim 1,
wherein the first temperature is a peak temperature of the first transformation of the alloy determined by differential scanning calorimetry, the second temperature is a temperature of a rising edge of the second transformation determined by differential scanning calorimetry, and the preliminary-state-generating temperature region is a temperature region higher than the first temperature and lower than the second temperature.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The heat treatment method according to claim 1, wherein, in the preliminary-state-generating step, a pair of heating rolls equipped with a heating mechanism is used as the contact-type heating element and the heat treatment is carried out while continuously moving the alloy sandwiched between the pair of heating rolls.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The heat treatment method according to claim 1, wherein, in the preliminary-state-generating step, the heat treatment is conducted while rolling the alloy so that the reduction achieved by the contact-type heating element is 0.01% or more and 10% or less.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The heat treatment method according to claim 1, further comprising, after the preliminary-state-generating step:
a main heat treatment step of heating and cooling the alloy that has been subjected to the preliminary-state-generating step.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The heat treatment method according to claim 5, wherein the first temperature and the second temperature are each a temperature related to a transformation and determined by subjecting the alloy to differential scanning calorimetry at a heating rate determined on the basis of a heating rate during heating in the main heat treatment step.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The heat treatment method according to claim 1, wherein, in the preliminary-state-generating step, an alloy formed to a thickness of 3.0 mm or less is used.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The heat treatment method according to claim 1, wherein, in the preliminary-state-generating step, the range of the heating rate of the alloy is 70° C./sec or more and 2500° C./sec or less.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The heat treatment method according to claim 8, wherein, in the preliminary-state-generating step, the heating rate of the alloy is 180° C./sec or more and preferably 200° C./sec or more.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The heat treatment method according to claim 1, wherein the alloy is one or more of a copper alloy and an aluminum alloy.