COMPOSITE ARTICLE AND METHOD

• US 20090199932A1
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richemont International SA (Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA)
• Original Assignee: Gad Zak
• Inventors: Zak, Gad
• Granted Patent: US 8,262,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 148/281
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 25/026 Casting jewelry articles B22D13/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 14/00 Alloys based on titanium
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 16/00 Alloys based on zirconium
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/02 Pretreatment of the material to be coated C23C8/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/10 Oxidising
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 8/80 After-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31678 Of metal

Abstract

Method, and articles therefrom, for providing a hard, abrasion-resistant, attractive, oxide surface layer of selectable thickness and having an outer appearance within the scale from gray to blackness, to a zirconium titanium alloy article by heating the article in an oxygen containing atmosphere.

Claims

1. A method for providing a darkened surface to an article consisting of a binary zirconium titanium alloy, the method comprising:

providing an article consisting of between about 30.9% and about 65.6% zirconium by atomic weight and titanium;

heating the article in an oxygen containing atmosphere at a temperature of between about 250 and about 880 degrees Celsius for between about 10 and about 110 minutes.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the heating step is divided into a first heating step and a second heating step with a quenching step interposed.

3. The method of claim 2, in which said first heating step is performed at a lower temperature than said second heating step.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the first heating step is carried out at a temperature of between about 250 and about 480 degrees Celsius for between about 10 and about 40 minutes.

5. The method of claim 3, in which the second heating step is carried out at a temperature of between about 480 and about 880 degrees Celsius for between about 10 and about 70 minutes.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the article consists of between about 34.4% and about 65.6% zirconium by atomic weight.

8. The method according to claim 1, in which said oxygen containing atmosphere is air.

10. The method according to claim 1, in which the article is a machined, cast, or die-forged article.

12. A zirconium titanium binary alloy article comprising a darkened surface or portion thereof produced according to the method of claim 1.

14. The article of claim 12, wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of a prosthesis, sports equipment, a golf club, hunting equipment, camping equipment, binocular encasement, an encasement for portable telecommunications, an encasement for telecommunications, an encasement for portable telecommunications, and an encasement for an information storage device.

15. The article of claim 12, wherein the article is a prosthetic device.

16. The article of claim 12, wherein the article is a stealth good.

17. The article of claim 12, wherein the article is an article adapted for sports, hunting, camping, or outdoors activities.

18. The article of claim 12, wherein the article comprises swiveling parts.

19. The article of claim 12, wherein the article comprises a musical instrument.

20. The article of claim 12, wherein the article comprises an architectural structural or surface material.

7. A method for providing a hardened surface to an article consisting of a binary zirconium titanium alloy, the method comprising:

providing an article consisting of between about 18.4% and about 30.9% zirconium by atomic weight and titanium;

heating the article in an oxygen containing atmosphere at a temperature of between about 250 and about 880 degrees Celsius for between about 10 and about 110 minutes.

9. The method according to claim 7, in which said oxygen containing atmosphere is air.

11. The method according to claim 7, in which the article is a machined, cast, or die-forged article.

13. A zirconium titanium binary alloy article comprising a darkened surface or portion thereof produced according to the method of claim 7.