# US 9,435,018 B2 · Method for carburizing tantalum container

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- Number: US 9,435,018 B2
- Document ID: US9435018B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/990,078
- Filed: 2011-07-06
- Published: 2013-09-19
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2010-11-30
- Assignees: Toyo Tanso Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Masanari Watanabe; Yoshihisa Abe
- Inventors: Masanari Watanabe; Yoshihisa Abe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9435018B2

## CPC

- C23C 8/64: Carburising
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

Provided is a method for carburizing a tantalum container which can easily control the carburization thicknesses of various portions of the tantalum container and carburize the tantalum container with a uniform thickness. A method for carburizing a tantalum container 1 made of tantalum or a tantalum alloy to allow carbon to penetrate the tantalum container 1 includes the steps of: supporting the tantalum container 1 on a support member 5, 6 provided in a chamber 3 and setting the tantalum container 1 in the chamber 3; and reducing the pressure inside the chamber 3 and heating the interior of the chamber 3, wherein a carbon source is placed in the vicinity of a portion of the tantalum container 1 hard to carburize.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for carburizing a tantalum container made of tantalum or a tantalum alloy to allow carbon to penetrate the tantalum container, the method comprising the steps of:
supporting the tantalum container on a plurality of support rods provided in a chamber and setting the tantalum container in the chamber; and
reducing the pressure inside the chamber and heating the interior of the chamber,
wherein a carbon source is placed in the vicinity of a portion of the tantalum container hard to carburize,
wherein the tantalum container is formed of a bottom part, a sidewall part, and an opening, and is set in the chamber to face the opening of the tantalum container downward by being supported on the plurality of supporting rods which are in direct contact with the bottom part of the tantalum container from the inside, and
wherein the plurality of support rods are made of a carbon source.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for carburizing the tantalum container according to claim 1, wherein at least an inside wall of the chamber is made of a carbon source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for carburizing the tantalum container according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to the step of placing the carbon source in the vicinity of the portion of the tantalum container hard to carburize, the step of reducing the pressure inside the chamber and heating the interior of the chamber to identify in advance the portion of the tantalum container hard to carburize.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method for carburizing the tantalum container according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the tantalum container hard to carburize includes the inside surfaces of the bottom part and the sidewall part of the tantalum container.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method for carburizing the tantalum container according to claim 4, wherein the carbon source is placed in the interior of the tantalum container.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method for carburizing the tantalum container according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the tantalum container hard to carburize is a corner portion thereof formed by the inside surfaces of the bottom part and the sidewall part of the tantalum container and the carbon source is placed in the vicinity of the corner portion.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method for carburizing the tantalum container according to claim 1, wherein the carbon source is a carbon foam.