Method for producing β-titanium alloy wire

• US 6,800,153 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2002
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokusen Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Kanai Juyo Kogyo Co., Ltd.), Terumo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tokusen Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Kanai Juyo Kogyo Co., Ltd.), Terumo Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Hideki, Nagao, Ichiro, Ishii, Naoki, Kaneko, Takashi, Sumimoto, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Oltmans, Andrew L.
• Application Number:
  US10/120,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20020174922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 148/269, 148/281, 148/284, 148/670, 148/671, 148/687
• US Class Current: 148/671
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/02 Inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/022 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 1/003 Drawing materials of special alloys so far as the composition of the alloy requires or permits special drawing methods or sequences
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 1/12 Regulating or controlling speed of drawing drums, e.g. to influence tension; Drives; Stop or relief mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 37/042 Manufacture of coated wire or bars
• CPC Class Codes: B21C 37/045 Manufacture of wire or bars with particular section or properties
• CPC Class Codes: B21F 45/008 of medical instruments, e.g. stents, corneal rings medical science A61
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/017 one layer being formed of aluminium or an aluminium alloy, another layer being formed of an alloy based on a non ferrous metal other than aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/183 of titanium or alloys based thereon

Abstract

The diamter of β-titanium alloy wire is reduced by cold wire-drawing and the β-titanium alloy wire is subjected to heat treatment. The heat treatment comprises the first aging process for precipitation strengthening and the second aging process for removing processing strain. β-titanium alloy wire is heat-treated under the supply of tension at the second aging process.

Claims

1. A method for producing β

-titanium alloy wire comprising the steps of reducing the diameter of β

-titanium alloy wire by cold wire drawing followed by heat treatment is characterized in that the heat treatment comprises the first aging process for precipitation strengthening and the second aging process for removing processing strain, and β

-titanium alloy wire is heat-treated under the supply of tension at the second aging process.

2. The method for producing β

-titanium alloy wire of claim 1, wherein at the second aging process, the temperature is in the range of from 300 to 600°

C., the time is in the range of from three minutes to ten minutes and the tension of 0.1 to 30% of breaking load of the β

-titanium alloy wire is given to the β

-titanium alloy wire.

3. The method for producing β

-titanium alloy wire of claim 1, wherein a final diameter of wire is in the range of 0.01 to 2.0 mm.

4. The method for producing β

-titanium alloy wire of claim 1, wherein at the first aging process, the temperature is in the range of from 425 to 650°

C.

5. A method for production β

-titanium alloy wire comprising a diameter of 0.01 to 2.0 mm, said method comprising the steps of subjecting β

-titanium alloy wire to solution treatment, coating said β

-titanium alloy wire with an oxide film, and giving a reduction ratio of area by cold wire drawing of 70% to 99% to said β

-titanium alloy wire in order to provide β

-titanium alloy wire having a diameter of 0.01 to 2.0 mm and characterized in that an average crystal grain area A of β

-phase in a cross section structure is 1 to 80 μ

m and a ratio of L/A is 5 to 1000.