Abstract:
A wire used in the medical field for guiding purposes, as well as in other fields, such as in the field of orthodontics for teeth aligning purposes. The wire, when prepared for use in such applications, exhibits an innovative blend of advantageous properties, including enhanced kink resistance over stainless steel wires and enhanced stiffness over Nitinol wires, which enhance its use as a medical guidewire or stylet, and further, as an arch wire in orthodontia applications.
Abstract:
The invention relates to plastic working of metals and alloys, predominantly low-plastic and hard-to-work ones, e.g., nickel-, titanium-, and iron-base high-temperature alloys, and producing billets for parts made by plastic working of said billets. The method comprises thermomechanical processing which is performed beginning with the temperature at which a total content of precipitates or an allotropic modification of the matrix exceeds 7%, followed by a stage-by-stage decrease of the working temperature down to the temperature at which a stable fine-grained microstructure of the material is obtained, with ratio between the grain size of various phases differing by not more than 10 times, the billet under processing undergoes deformation with a 1.2 to 3.9 times change in the billet cross-sectional area. When preparing billets from nickel-base alloys a stage-by-stage decrease of the working temperature is carried out so as to provide a maximum 14% gain in the &ggr;-phase at each stage. At the end of each process stage a successive annealing of the billet is performed.
Abstract:
A method for producing new superplastic alloys by inducing in an alloy the formation of precipitates having a sufficient size and homogeneous distribution that a sufficiently refined grain structure to produce superplasticity is obtained after subsequent PSN processing. An age-hardenable alloy having at least one dispersoid phase is selected for processing. The alloy is solution heat-treated and cooled to form a supersaturated solid solution. The alloy is plastically deformed sufficiently to form a high-energy defect structure useful for the subsequent heterogeneous nucleation of precipitates. The alloy is then aged, preferably by a multi-stage low and high temperature process, and precipitates are formed at the defect sites. The alloy then is subjected to a PSN process comprising plastically deforming the alloy to provide sufficient strain energy in the alloy to ensure recrystallization, and statically recrystallizing the alloy. A grain structure exhibiting new, fine, equiaxed and uniform grains is produced in the alloy. An exemplary 6xxx alloy of the type capable of being produced by the present invention, and which is useful for aerospace, automotive and other applications, is disclosed and claimed. The process is also suitable for processing any age-hardenable aluminum or other alloy.
Abstract:
A method of superplastic extrusion is provided for fabricating large, complex-shaped, high strength metal alloy components, such as large, thin cross section, closed-box panels or integrally "T-stiffened" aircraft skin panels. Superplastic extrusion is similar to conventional extrusion except that strain rate and temperature are carefully controlled to keep an ultra-fine grain high strength metal alloy within the superplastic regime where deformation occurs through grain boundary sliding. A high strength, heat treatable metal alloy is first processed, such as by equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE), to have a uniform, equiaxed, ultra-fine grain size in thick section billet form. Temperature and strain rate are controlled during superplastic extrusion of the ultra-fine grained billet so that the stresses required for metal flow are much lower than those needed in conventional extrusion. The low stresses allow use of more fragile extrusion dies, including multi-hale dies for hollow core extrusions, thereby achieving thinner section details in larger extruded components for a given press loading capacity. After superplastic extrusion, components may be solution treated, stretch straightened, and creep-age formed in an autoclave, as required. The resulting large, compound curvature, thin section, integrally stiffened, high strength metal alloy components retain a uniform, equiaxed, fine grain size, which imparts superior strength, isotropy, ductility, toughness, and corrosion resistance compared with conventional grain sized metal alloys.
Abstract:
A method for inducing superplasticity in a composite including a non-transforming phase and a transforming phase by cycling the composite material through a phase transformation of the transforming phase while applying an external stress to the composite material is provided as is a method for inducing superplasticity in a titanium/titanium carbide composite. Also provided is a method for forming a part from a composite material including a transforming phase and a non-transforming phase by cycling the composite through a phase transformation of the transforming phase and shaping the composite material by applying an external stress to the composite material while the transforming phase is undergoing a phase transformation to form a finished article.
Abstract:
An ultrahigh carbon steel having a composition of carbon in an amount of from about 0.8 weight percent up to the maximum solubility limit of carbon in austenite, aluminum in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent, an effective amount of a stabilizing element acting to stabilize iron carbide against graphitization, and the balance iron. Preferably, the aluminum is present in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 6.4 weight percent and the stabilizing element is chromium. The steel has excellent ductility and is readily hot, warm and cold worked without cracking. It is particularly useful in superplastic forming operations, and may be processed to a suitable microstructure by any technique which reduces its grain size to about 10 microns or less, and preferably to about 1 micron. Such a very fine grain size is readily acheived with the steel, and the aluminum and stabilizing additions act to retain the fine grain size during superplastic processing.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a titanium alloy having superelastic properties and/or shape memory for biomedical use, which comprises the steps of: preparing an ingot by melting the various metals that form the desired alloy in a vacuum; optionally homogenizing the ingot in a vacuum by high-temperature annealing (higher than 900° C.); first quenching; mechanical shaping (rolling, drawing, machining or the like); heat treatment for redissolution in beta phase beyond the beta transus temperature (until a second temperature and then maintaining same for a certain time); and second quenching; characterized in that said heat treatment phase is carried out in a gaseous atmosphere and also constitutes a surface treatment suitable for forming on the surface a layer of nitride, carbonitride, oxide, oxynitride or the like.
Abstract:
A monolithic titanium alloy having, in a temperature range (ΔT) and at atmospheric pressure: an outer peripheral zone of a microstructure having a modulus of elasticity (E1) and possessing superelastic properties in the range (ΔT), and a core of a microstructure having a modulus of elasticity (E2), and possessing elastic properties in the range (ΔT); the microstructures and being different from one another, and the modulus of elasticity (E1) being lower than said modulus of elasticity (E2).
Abstract:
Medical instruments, particularly, endodontic instruments with unique limited memory characteristics, and methods for making such instruments. One embodiment includes heat treating an endodontic blank prior to forming a working portion of the endodontic instrument.
Abstract:
A wire used in the medical field for guiding purposes, as well as in other fields, such as in the field of orthodontics for teeth aligning purposes. The wire, when prepared for use in such applications, exhibits an innovative blend of advantageous properties, including enhanced kink resistance over stainless steel wires and enhanced stiffness over Nitinol wires, which enhance its use as a medical guidewire or stylet, and further, as an arch wire in orthodontia applications.