Titanium alloy with extra-low modulus and superelasticity and its producing method and processing thereof

• US 20070137742A1
• Filed: 11/25/2004
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Original Assignee: Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Inventors: Hao, Yulin, Yang, Rui, Li, Shujun
• Granted Patent: US 7,722,805 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 148/671
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 14/00 Alloys based on titanium
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/183 of titanium or alloys based thereon

Abstract

The patent provides the titanium alloy with extra-low modulus and superelasticity containing 20˜35 wt. % niobium, 2˜15 wt. % zirconium, balanced titanium and other unavoidable impurity elements. The advantages of the invention alloy are shown as follows: The invention titanium alloy has superior cold processing capacity and low work hardening rate; It can be severely deformed by cold rolling and cold drawing; It has superelasticity, shape memory effect, damping capacity, low modulus, high strength, good corrosion resistance and high biocompatibility; The invention titanium alloy can be made into nano-size materials by cold deformation and extra high strength can be achieved by heat treatment.

Claims

1. A titanium alloy with extra-low modulus and superelasticity, characterized in that the metallic alloy comprises 30 wt % >

niobium≧

20 wt %, 2˜

15 wt % zirconium, balanced titanium and other unavoidable impurity elements.

2. The titanium alloy of claim 1, characterized in that wherein the niobium and zirconium can be 30˜

45 wt % in total.

3. The titanium alloy of claim 1, characterized in that wherein the alloy may further comprise at least one component of 0.1˜

12 wt % selected from tin or aluminum in total.

4. The titanium alloy of claim 3, characterized in that wherein the zirconium and tin can be 3˜

20 wt % in total.

5. The titanium alloy of claim 1, characterized in that wherein the alloy may further comprise at least one interstitial element without toxicity selected from C or N or O with amount of less than 0.5 wt %.

6. A method of fabricating the titanium alloy with super-low modulus and superelasticity of claim 1, including melting in vacuum and heat treatment, characterized in that wherein the heat treatment steps, solution treatment is at a temperature from 200°

C. to 900°

C. for from 10 s to 2 h, followed by air cooling for from 2 s to 60 s and then water quenching or air cooling only.

7. The method of claim 6, characterized in that wherein after solid solution treatment and water quenching, the ageing is at a temperature of 200°

C.˜

600°

C. for 10 s˜

60 min followed by air cooling for 2 s˜

60 s and then water quenching.

8. A method of fabricating the titanium alloy with extra-low modulus and superelasticity of claim 1, including melting in vacuum and heat treatment, characterized in that wherein the heat treatment steps, the ageing is at a temperature of 200°

C.˜

600°

C. for 2 min˜

48 h by air cooling.

9. A processing method of titanium alloy with the super-low modulus and superelasticity of claim 1, including hot processing and cold processing, characterized in that wherein the cold processing steps consist of cold rolling, cold drawing, cold forging or cold swaging, the deformation of cold processing is less than 20%.

10. A processing method of titanium alloy with the super-low modulus and superelasticity of claim 1, including hot processing and cold processing, characterized in that wherein the cold processing steps consist of cold rolling, cold drawing, cold forging or cold swaging, nano-size material can be achieved when the deformation ratio of cold processing is higher than 50%.

11. The method of claim 10, characterized in that wherein the nano-size alloy is solid solution treated at a temperature from 500°

C. to 850°

C. for 10 s˜

2 h followed by water quenching.

12. The method of claim 10, characterized in that wherein super-high strength material can be achieved after ageing at temperature from 300°

C. to 500°

C. for 10 m˜

10 h.

13. The method of claim 10, characterized in that wherein the nano-size materials are solid solution treated at a temperature from 500°

C. to 850°

C. for 10 s˜

2 h and then ageing at temperature from 300°

C. to 550°

C. for 10 m˜

10 h.

14. The titanium alloy of claim 2, characterized in that wherein the alloy may further comprise at least one component of 0.1˜

12 wt % selected from tin or aluminum in total.

15. The titanium alloy of claim 14, characterized in that wherein the zirconium and tin can be 3˜

20 wt % in total.

16. The titanium alloy of claim 2, characterized in that wherein the alloy may further comprise at least one interstitial element without toxicity selected from C or N or O with amount of less than 0.5 wt %.

17. The titanium alloy of claim 3, characterized in that wherein the alloy may further comprise at least one interstitial element without toxicity selected from C or N or O with amount of less than 0.5 wt %.

18. The titanium alloy of claim 4, characterized in that wherein the alloy may further comprise at least one interstitial element without toxicity selected from C or N or O with amount of less than 0.5 wt %.

19. The titanium alloy of claim 14, characterized in that wherein the alloy may further comprise at least one interstitial element without toxicity selected from C or N or O with amount of less than 0.5 wt %.

20. The titanium alloy of claim 15, characterized in that wherein the alloy may further comprise at least one interstitial element without toxicity selected from C or N or O with amount of less than 0.5 wt %.