JP-2026514421-A - Oxidation-resistant and corrosion-resistant nanostructured copper-based metal systems

JP2026514421AJP 2026514421 AJP2026514421 AJP 2026514421AJP-2026514421-A

Abstract

Various embodiments relate to oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant nanostructured copper-based metal systems and techniques for producing such systems. The metal system comprises (i) a solvent of copper (Cu) metal constituting 50 to 99.98 atomic percent (at.%) of the metal system; (ii) a first solute of tantalum (Ta) metal constituting 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system and dispersed in the solvent metal; (iii) a second solute of an oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant derivative metal constituting 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system and dispersed in the solvent metal; and optionally (iv) a third solute of an additional metal dispersed in the solvent metal, wherein the third solute constituting 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system, and the additional metal may be an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or transition metal different from the solvent, the first solute and the second solute. [Selection Diagram] Figure 1

Inventors

オストリンド，アルバート，エム．
ハモンド，ヴィンセント，エイチ．
ホーンバックル，ビリー，シー．
ダーリン，クリストファー，エー．
ロバーツ，アンソニー，ジェイ．
ギリ，アニット，ケイ．
ルッケンボー，トーマス，エル．
ファッジャー，ショーン，ジェイ．

Assignees

ユナイテッドステイツオブアメリカ，アズレプリゼンテッドバイザセクレタリーオブジアーミー

Dates

Publication Date: 20260511
Application Date: 20230907
Priority Date: 20230328

Claims (18)

A nanostructured metal system that is resistant to oxidation and/or corrosion, A solvent of copper (Cu) metal constituting 50 to 99.98 atomic percent (at.%) of the aforementioned metal system, The first solute of tantalum (Ta) metal, which constitutes 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system and is dispersed in the solvent metal, A second solute of an oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant derivative metal, comprising 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system and dispersed in the solvent metal, Optionally, a third solute of an additional metal dispersed in the solvent metal, The third solute constitutes 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system, the additional metal is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, or transition metal different from the solvent, the first solute, and the second solute, and the metal system has an initial average particle size of about 100 nm or less. The metal system is thermally stable and virtually free of coarse grain growth, such that at approximately 98% of the melting point temperature of the solvent metal, the internal particle size of the solvent metal is substantially suppressed to approximately 10 microns or less, and the solute metal remains substantially uniformly dispersed in the solvent metal at that temperature. Oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant nanostructured metal systems.
The metal system according to claim 1, wherein the third solute is present in the metal system, and the third solute metal is a group 4 element, a group 5 element, a group 6 element, iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), lithium (Li), or a combination thereof.
The metal system according to claim 2, wherein the second solute oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant derivative metal is chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), hafnium (Hf), silver (Ag), or a combination thereof.
The metal system according to claim 3, wherein the oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant derivative metal is chromium (Cr).
The metal system according to claim 4, wherein the second solute constitutes 1 at.% to 20 at.% of the metal system.
The metal system according to claim 1, wherein the metal system does not contain the third solute.
The metal system according to claim 1, wherein the metal system is configured to form an adhesive and impermeable oxide layer containing the second solute, which prevents further oxidation of the metal system when exposed to a temperature of at least 200°C.
The metal system according to claim 1, wherein the metal system is configured to form an adhesive and impermeable oxide layer containing the second solute, which prevents further oxidation of the metal system when exposed to a temperature of at least 500°C.
The metal system according to claim 1, wherein, when exposed to an atmosphere containing corrosive substances, the metal system is configured to form an adhering and impermeable layer containing the second solute, which prevents further corrosion of the metal system by the corrosive substances.
The metal system according to claim 1, wherein the metal system is in bulk form and includes pellets, bullets, ingots, rods, plates, discs, or sheets.
A high-temperature mechanical component formed from the metal system described in claim 1.
The high-temperature mechanical component according to claim 11, wherein the mechanical component is a component of an engine or turbine blade.
A process for forming oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant nanostructured copper-based metal systems, The metal system comprises a solvent of copper (Cu) metal constituting 50 to 99.98 atomic percent (at.%) of the metal system; a first solute of tantalum (Ta) metal constituting 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system and dispersed in the solvent metal; a second solute of an oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant derivative metal constituting 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system and dispersed in the solvent metal; and optionally, a third solute of an additional metal dispersed in the solvent metal, wherein the third solute constituting 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system, and the additional metal is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, or transition metal different from the solvent, the first solute, and the second solute. The process includes: a step of producing pulverized metal by subjecting the powdered solvent metal and the solute metal to a grinding process using a grinding apparatus configured to shake the powdered metal together with a ball medium at least 1060 times per minute in a generally back-and-forth direction to impact its contents; and a step of solidifying the pulverized metal to form a bulk material. The bulk material is thermally stable with virtually no coarse grain growth, such that at about 98% of the melting point temperature of the solvent metal, the internal particle size of the solvent metal is substantially suppressed to about 10 microns or less, and the solute metal remains substantially uniformly dispersed in the solvent metal at that temperature.
The process according to claim 13, wherein the third solute is present in the metal system, and the third solute is a group 4 element, a group 5 element, a group 6 element, iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), lithium (Li), or a combination thereof.
The process according to claim 14, wherein the second solute is chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), hafnium (Hf), silver (Ag), or a combination thereof.
The process according to claim 15, wherein the second solute is chromium (Cr).
The process according to claim 13, wherein the metal system does not contain the third solute.
The process according to claim 13, wherein the second solute constitutes 1 at.% to 25 at.% of the metal system.

Description

Government Interests: The inventions described herein may be manufactured and used by or on behalf of the U.S. Government for any governmental purpose without payment of royalties. Area of Disclosure This disclosure relates to advanced oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant nanostructured metallic copper (Cu)-based metal systems, and more particularly to Cu-based metal systems incorporating oxidation-resistant/corrosion-resistant substances such as chromium into the system. This section aims to introduce to the reader various technical aspects that may be related to the various aspects of the invention described and/or claimed below. This explanation is intended to provide background information that will facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that these descriptions do not constitute an endorsement of prior art and should be read in this context. Bulk nanocrystalline metals, alloys, and composite materials have attracted considerable attention and interest in the scientific community in recent years. This is primarily due to their unique mechanical properties. Recent reports have shown that these metals can achieve both ultra-high strength and moderate ductility. The possibility of achieving both ultra-high strength and ductility (i.e., ultra-high toughness nanocrystalline materials) makes nanocrystalline metals and alloys a promising future for advanced metallurgy. However, none of the alloys currently available are designed to possess high-temperature oxidation/corrosion resistance. This significant drawback severely limits their use in real-world high-temperature applications. "Real-world" here refers to ambient conditions in which components made from these alloys are exposed to an atmosphere where oxidation/corrosion with the base metal can occur. The various shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by the disclosed composition and technology as follows: In some embodiments, oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant nanostructured metal systems can be provided. The metal system may include alloys, particularly alloys that are immiscible with copper. The metal system comprises (i) a solvent of copper (Cu) metal constituting 50 to 99.98 atomic percent (at.%) of the metal system; (ii) a first solute of tantalum (Ta) metal constituting 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system and dispersed in the solvent metal; and (iii) a second solute of an oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant derivative metal constituting 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system and dispersed in the solvent metal; and optionally (iv) a third solute of an additional metal dispersed in the solvent metal, wherein the third solute constituting 0.01 to 50 at.% of the metal system, and the additional metal may be a transition metal different from the solvent, the first solute, and the second solute. The metal system may have an initial average particle size of about 100 nm or less. The aforementioned metal system can be thermally stable without substantial coarse grain growth, such that at approximately 98% of the melting point temperature of the solvent metal, the internal particle size of the solvent metal is substantially suppressed to approximately 10 microns or less, and the solute metal remains substantially uniformly dispersed in the solvent metal at that temperature. In some embodiments, the additional metal forming the third solute may be a group 4 element, a group 5 element, a group 6 element, iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), lithium (Li), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the oxidation-resistant and/or corrosion-resistant derivative metal forming the second solute may be chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), hafnium (Hf), silver (Ag), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the second solute includes chromium (Cr). In some embodiments, the second solute may constitute 1 at.% to 25 at.% of the metal system. In some embodiments, the metal system is configured to form an adhering and impermeable oxide layer containing a second solute that prevents further oxidation of the metal system when exposed to temperatures of at least 200°C. In some embodiments, the metal system is configured to form an adhering and impermeable oxide layer containing a second solute that prevents further oxidation of the metal system when exposed to temperatures of at least 500°C. In some embodiments, the metal system is configured to form an adhering and impermeable layer containing a second solute that prevents further corrosion of the metal system by corrosive substances when exposed to an atmosphere containing corrosive substances. In some embodiments, the metal system is in bulk form and may include pellets, bullets, ingots, rods, plates, discs, and/or sheets. In some embodiments, high-temperature mechanical components (such as engine or turbine blade components) may be provided formed from the high-density, ther