Nanoparticle-stabilized immiscible alloys

• US 10,036,084 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2012
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Original Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Inventors: Li, Xiaochun, Chen, Lianyi, Xu, Jiaquan
• Primary Examiner(s): Yang, Jie
• Application Number:
  US13/669,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20160060730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 148698, 75249
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/16 Metallic particles coated with a non-metal coated with lubricating or binding agents or with organic material B22F1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/016 all layers being formed of aluminium or aluminium alloys
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/02 by melting C22C1/1036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/026 Alloys based on aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/06 with the use of special agents for refining or deoxidising
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/1036 starting from a melt
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/1047 by mixing and casting liquid metal matrix composites
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/00 Alloys based on aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 21/003 containing at least 2.6% of one or more of the elements: tin, lead, antimony, bismuth, cadmium, and titanium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 32/0047 with carbides, nitrides, borides or silicides as the main non-metallic constituents

Abstract

Solid immiscible alloys and methods for making the solid immiscible alloys are provided. The microstructure of the immiscible alloys is characterized by a minority phase comprising a plurality of particles of an inorganic material dispersed in a majority phase comprising a continuous matrix of another inorganic material. The methods utilize nanoparticles to control both the collisional growth and the diffusional growth of the minority phase particles in the matrix during the formation of the alloy microstructure.

Claims

1. A solid immiscible alloy material comprising:

(a) an immiscible alloy comprising a majority phase comprising a continuous matrix of a first inorganic material; and

a minority phase comprising a plurality of particles of a second inorganic material dispersed in the majority phase, wherein the minority phase particles have an average diameter of no greater than 20 μ

m; and

(b) nanoparticles comprising a thermally stable material coating the surfaces of the dispersed minority phase particles, wherein each of the nanoparticles has a smallest diameter and the average value of those smallest diameters is no greater than 250 nm.

2. The alloy material of claim 1, wherein the minority phase particles have an average diameter of no greater than 15 μ

m and the average value of the smallest diameters for the nanoparticles is no greater than 150 nm.

3. The alloy material of claim 1, wherein the minority phase particles have an average diameter of no greater than 11 μ

m and no more than 1% of the minority phase particles have a diameter greater than 20 μ

m.

4. The alloy material of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic material is a metal, the second inorganic material is a metal or metalloid and the thermally stable material is a ceramic.

5. The alloy material of claim 4, wherein the immiscible alloy is an aluminum-based alloy.

6. The alloy material of claim 1, wherein the area fraction of the minority phase particles varies by no more than ±

5% when measured across both the depth and the width of the alloy material.

7. The alloy material of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles account for no greater than 5 vol. % of the alloy material.

8. The alloy material of claim 7, wherein the nanoparticles account for 0.1 to 5 vol. % of the alloy material.

9. The alloy material of claim 7, wherein the minority phase particles have an average diameter of no greater than 10 μ

m, the average value of the smallest diameters for the nanoparticles is no greater than 150 nm, the first inorganic material is a metal, the second inorganic material is a metal or metalloid and the thermally stable material is a ceramic.

10. The alloy material of claim 9, wherein the first inorganic material is aluminum, the second inorganic material is bismuth and the nanoparticles are TiCN nanoparticles.

11. The alloy material of claim 9, wherein the area fraction of the minority phase particles varies by no more than ±

5% when measured across both the depth and the width of the alloy material.

12. The alloy material of claim 9, wherein no more than 1% of the minority phase particles have a diameter greater than 20 μ

m.

13. The alloy material of claim 1, wherein no more than 1% of the minority phase particles have a diameter greater than 15 μ

m.

14. The alloy material of claim 13, wherein the minority phase particles have an average diameter of no greater than 10 μ

m.

15. The alloy material of claim 1, wherein the first inorganic material is a metal, a metalloid, a metal alloy, or an intermetallic;

the second inorganic material is a metal, a metalloid, a metal alloy, or an intermetallic, and the thermally stable material is a ceramic.

16. The alloy material of claim 15, wherein the ceramic is an oxide.

17. The alloy material of claim 15, wherein the ceramic is a non-oxide ceramic.

18. The alloy material of claim 1, wherein each of the nanoparticles has a largest diameter and the average value of those largest diameters is no greater than 150 nm.