Chrome composite materials

Abstract

A method of making a composite carbide-boride powder includes selecting a ferrochrome material, selecting a nickel-containing material, and selecting a boron-containing material. The ferrochrome material, the nickel-containing material, and the boron-containing material is combined together to form a mixture, and the composite carbide-boride powder is generated from the mixture.

1 . A method of making a composite carbide-boride powder, comprising: 
 selecting a ferrochrome material;    selecting a nickel-containing material;    selecting a boron-containing material;    combining the ferrochrome material, the nickel-containing material, and the boron-containing material to form a mixture;    generating the composite carbide-boride powder from the mixture.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including adding chromium to the mixture.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nickel is substantially pure nickel.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the high carbon ferrochrome powder is at least one of (CrFe) 7 C 3  and (CrFe) 3 C 2 .  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the boron-containing material includes nickel-boron.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further including adding silicon to the mixture.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ferrochrome material includes a ferrochrome powder, the nickel-containing material includes a nickel-containing powder, and the boron-containing material includes a ferroboron powder.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of combining includes mixing the ferrochrome powder, the nickel-containing powder, and the ferroboron powder together with a solvent to form a slurry.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of combining includes melting the ferrochrome material, the nickel-containing material, and the boron-containing material together to form a melt.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the composite carbide-boride powder has a structure including particles dispersed in a matrix material.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the matrix material contains at least one of nickel, chrome, and iron.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 adding a carbon containing material to the mixture.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the carbon containing material includes at least one of activated carbon and graphite.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step of generating the composite powder includes at least one of atomization, gas atomization, spray drying and sintering, sintering and crushing, chemical vapor deposition, and cladding.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating the composite powder produces an average particle size of about 3 μm to about 500 μm.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of generating the composite powder produces an average particle size of about 10 μm to about 60 μm.  
     
     
         17 . A composite powder, comprising: 
 a ferrochrome component;    a nickel-based component; and    a boride component.    
     
     
         18 . The composite powder of  claim 17 , wherein the boride component includes nickel-boride.  
     
     
         19 . The composite powder of  claim 17 , wherein the boride component includes iron-boride.  
     
     
         20 . The composite powder of  claim 17 , wherein the ferrochrome component contains iron up to about 65 percent by weight.  
     
     
         21 . The composite powder of  claim 17 , wherein the ferrochrome component contains carbon up to about 14 percent by weight.  
     
     
         22 . The composite powder of  claim 17 , wherein the ferrochrome component has a chrome content of about 15 weight percent to about 75 weight percent.  
     
     
         23 . The composite powder of  claim 17 , wherein the boride component has a boron content up to about 19 percent by weight.  
     
     
         24 . The composite powder of  claim 17 , wherein the composite powder has a total weight percentage of no more than about 5 weight percent provided by one or more of silicon, titanium, niobium, vanadium, tantalum, molybdenum, tungsten, and manganese.  
     
     
         25 . A composite powder, comprising: 
 carbon up to about 14 weight percent;    iron up to about 65 weight percent;    nickel up to about 35 weight percent;    boron up to about 19 weight percent; and    about 15 weight percent to about 65 weight percent of chrome.    
     
     
         26 . The composite powder of  claim 25 , including about 10 weight percent to about 55 weight percent iron.  
     
     
         27 . The composite powder of  claim 25 , including up to about 12 weight percent boron.  
     
     
         28 . The composite powder of  claim 25 , including up to about 10 weight percent carbon and up to about 8 weight percent boron.  
     
     
         29 . A composite powder, comprising: 
 a plurality of particles, wherein at least some of the particles include:    a matrix material including at least one of nickel and nickel-chromium, and a plurality of Fe—Cr-boride particles dispersed in the matrix material.    
     
     
         30 . A composite material, comprising: 
 a nickel-based material;    a ferrochrome component dispersed within the nickel-based component; and    a boride component dispersed within the nickel-based component.    
     
     
         31 . The composite material of  claim 30 , further including a carbon component.  
     
     
         32 . The composite material of  claim 31 , wherein the carbon component and the ferrochrome component interact such that the composite material includes at least some ferrochrome carbide containing particles dispersed within a matrix material.  
     
     
         33 . The composite material of  claim 31 , wherein the carbon component is present in the composite material in an amount up to about 14 weight percent.  
     
     
         34 . The composite material of  claim 30 , wherein the composite material includes chrome in an amount of up to about 65 percent by weight.  
     
     
         35 . The composite material of  claim 30 , wherein the composite material includes iron in an amount of up to about 65 percent by weight.  
     
     
         36 . The composite material of  claim 30 , wherein the composite material has a silicon content of less than about 5 percent by weight.  
     
     
         37 . The composite material of  claim 30 , wherein the composite material includes nickel in an amount of up to about 40 weight percent.  
     
     
         38 . The composite material of  claim 30 , wherein the composite material includes boron in an amount of up to about 19 percent by weight.  
     
     
         39 . A composite material comprising: 
 a nickel-based material forming a nickel matrix;    a plurality of carbon ferrochrome particles dispersed in the nickel matrix; and    a boride component dispersed within the nickel matrix.    
     
     
         40 . The composite material of  claim 39 , wherein the composite material has a Knoop hardness value of between about 950 to 1200 HK.  
     
     
         41 . The composite material of  claim 39 , the composite material being disposed as a coating on a substrate material.  
     
     
         42 . The composite material of  claim 41 , wherein the substrate material includes an engine component.  
     
     
         43 . The composite material of  claim 41 , wherein the substrate material includes a bearing.  
     
     
         44 . The composite material of  claim 41 , wherein the substrate material includes an axle.  
     
     
         45 . A method of forming a coating on a substrate, the method comprising: 
 selecting a ferrochrome material;    selecting a nickel-containing material;    selecting a boron-containing material;    combining the ferrochrome material, the nickel-containing material, and the boron-containing material to form a mixture;    generating the composite carbide-boride powder from the mixture;    supplying the composite carbide-boride powder to a coating apparatus; and    forming an iron-boride-nickel composite material coating on at least one surface of the substrate.    
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the coating apparatus includes a high velocity oxy-fuel (HVOF) system.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the coating apparatus includes a detonation spray system.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the iron-boride-nickel composite material coating has a Knoop hardness value of between about 950 to 1200 HK.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the substrate includes an engine component.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the substrate includes a bearing.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the substrate includes an axle.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the ferrochrome material includes at least one of (CrFe) 7 C 3  and (CrFe) 3 C 2 .