Titanium metal foils and method of making

• US 5,489,411 A
• Filed: 09/23/1991
• Issued: 02/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Howard, Robert W., Jha, Sunil C., Forster, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARROLL, CHRISMAN DION
• Application Number:
  US07/763,843
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 419/1, 419/3, 419/5, 419/6, 419/7, 419/8, 419/9, 419/28, 419/29, 419/43, 419/50, 419/56, 419/57, 29/17.1, 29/17.2, 29/17.3, 428/607
• US Class Current: 419/3
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/115 by spraying molten metal, i.e. spray sintering, spray casting
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/00 Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the special shape of the product
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 26/00 Coating not provided for in groups C23C2/00 - C23C24/00
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 4/185 Separation of the coating from the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/30 Foil or other thin sheet-metal making or treating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/301 Method
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/302 Clad or other composite foil or thin metal making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12438 Composite

Abstract

A high strength titanium alloy or titanium aluminide metal foil having improved strength and density is produced, preferably in coilable strip form, by plasma-depositing the selected titanium-based material on a receiving surface, separating the deposited material from the receiving surface to provide two metal foil preforms each having a relatively smooth side as cast against the receiving surface and a relatively rough, opposite side as deposited from the plasma, disposing the two metal preforms together with the relatively rough sides of the two metal preforms in facing engagement with each other, and squeezing the two preforms together between pressure bonding rolls to metallurgically bond the preforms to each other and to consolidate the materials of the preforms to form a fully dense metal foil.

Claims

1. A method for making a metal foil comprising the steps of providing two plasma-deposited metal foil preforms each having a relatively smooth side as cast against a receiving surface and a relative rough opposite side with a microstructure that is not as fine as the relatively smooth side as plasma-deposited, pressing the metal foil preforms together with the two relatively rough sides thereof in facing engagement to metallurgically bond the preforms to each other and to consolidate materials of the preforms to form a metal foil and solution annealing the metal foil in a protective atmosphere to reduce grain size and improve ductility in the metal foil.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein different plasma-deposited metal materials are embodied in the two metal preforms for forming a composite metal foil.

3. A method for making a metal foil selected from the group consisting of titanium aluminide and high strength titanium alloy materials comprising the steps of plasma-depositing metal material selected from the group consisting of titanium aluminide and high strength titanium alloy materials on a receiving surface, separating the plasma-deposited metal material from the receiving surface to form two metal foil preforms each having one relatively smooth side surface as-cast against the receiving surface and a relatively rough opposite side surface as plasma-deposited, and pressure rolling the two metal foil preforms together with the relatively rough sides thereof in facing engagement with each other to metallurgically bond materials of the metal foil preforms to each other with solid phase metallurgical bonds and to consolidate the materials of the metal foil preforms with each other to form a metal foil, and solution annealing the metal foil in a protective atmosphere to reduce grain size and improve ductility in the metal foil.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the metal foil preforms are pressure rolled together at room temperature in an air atmosphere.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the metal foil preforms are heated in a protective atmosphere for removing residual stresses from materials of the preforms prior to pressure rolling the two metal preforms together.

6. A method for making a titanium aluminide metal foil comprising the steps of plasma-depositing titanium aluminide metal material on a receiving surface, separating the plasma-deposited metal material from the receiving surface to form two metal foil preforms each having one relatively smooth side surface as-cast against the receiving surface and having a relatively rough opposite side surface, heating the metal foil preforms to a temperature in the range from 900°

to 1100°

C. in a protective atmosphere to remove residual stress from the preforms, pressure rolling the two metal foil preforms together in air at room temperature with relatively rough sides thereof in facing engagement with each other to metallurgically bond materials of the metal foil preforms to each other with solid phase metallurgical bonds and to consolidate materials of the metal foil preforms to form a metal foil, and solution annealing the metal foil at a temperature in the range from 900°

to 1100°

C. in a protective atmosphere, thereby to provide a substantially fully dense titanium aluminide metal foil.

7. A method for making a high strength titanium alloy metal foil comprising the steps of plasma-depositing a high strength titanium alloy metal material on a receiving surface, separating the plasma-deposited metal material from the receiving surface to form two metal foil preforms each having one relatively smooth side surface as-cast against the receiving surface and having a relatively rough opposite side surface, heating the metal foil preforms to a temperature in the range from 900°

to 1150°

C. in a non-oxidizing protective atmosphere to remove residual stress from the preforms, pressure rolling the two metal foil preforms together in air at room temperature with the relatively rough sides thereof in facing engagement with each other to metallurgically bond materials of the metal foil preforms to each other with solid phase metallurgical bonds and to consolidate materials of the metal preforms to form a metal foil, and solution annealing the metal foil at a temperature in the range from 900°

to 1150°

C. in a non-oxidizing protective atmosphere, thereby to provide a substantially fully dense high strength titanium alloy metal foil.