Metal or Alloy with Improved Physical and Electrical Properties

Abstract

Disclosed is a method of forming a treated material. The method includes providing a high-speed blender; adding a solvent and brass granules to the blender and blending at high speed until mixed; adding copper granules to the blender and mixing at high speed until mixed; adding carbon nanotubes and graphene to the blender and mixing until blended. The mixture of solvent, brass granules, copper granules, carbon granules, carbon nanotubes, and graphene are added to an additional mixture of brass and copper and mixed until all of the granules are uniformly saturated. The mixture is then dried to a powder. Thereafter, the dry powder may be added to ferrous or nonferrous metal(s) in a high temperature crucible and then heated until melted.

The invention claimed is 
     
         1 . A method of treating a material comprising:
 (a) providing a high-speed blender;   (b) adding a solvent and brass granules to the blender and blending at high speed until mixed;   (c) adding copper granules to the blender and blending at high speed until mixed;   (d) adding carbon nanotubes (CNT) to the blender and blending until mixed;   (e) adding graphene to the blender and blending until mixed;   mixing a solution produced by steps (b)-(e) into an additional mixture of brass and copper granules and mixing until all granules are uniformly saturated with the solution; and   (g) drying the mixture of step (f) to a dry powder.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 (h) mixing the dry powder with one or more metals in a high-temperature crucible and heating until melted, wherein each of the one or more metals is a ferrous and/or nonferrous metal.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the brass and copper granules are passed through 100 mesh. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the solvent is acetone. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein about 1.9 liters-3.79 liters (½ gallon-1 gallon of acetone) is added to about 0.45 kilograms-0.91 kilograms (1 pound-2 pounds) of brass granules and mixed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein about 0.45 kilograms-0.91 kilograms (1 pound-2 pounds) of copper granules is added to the acetone and brass mixture. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each instance of blending is repeated for about five minute periods. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein 1-2 grams of carbon nanotubes (CNT) are added to the acetone-brass-copper mixture. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein 1 gram of graphene is added to the acetone-brass-copper mixture. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in step (f) the mixture of brass and copper is a 1:1 ratio of brass and copper. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the mixture of brass and copper comprises about 9.1 kilograms-13.6 kilograms (20 pounds-30 pounds) of each. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein 3.6 kilograms-9.1 kilograms (8 pounds-20 pounds) of the dry powder is added to about 41 kilograms-54.4 kilograms (90 pounds-120 pounds) of the one or more metals. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein 5 kilograms-5.9 kilograms (11 pounds-13 pounds) of dry powder is added to about 41 kilograms-54.4 kilograms (90 pounds-120 pounds) of the one or more metals. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein steps (b)-(e) are performed in any order to produce the solution. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein any two or more of steps (b)-(e) are combined to produce the solution. 
     
     
         16 . A method of treating a material comprising:
 (a) mixing solvent, brass granules, copper granules, carbon nanotubes, and graphene;   (b) adding the mixture of step (a) to an additional mixture of brass and copper granules and mixing until all of the granules are uniformly saturated with a mixture of step (a); and   (c) drying the mixture of step (b) to a powder to form a treated material.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further including mixing the treated material with one or more ferrous and/or nonferrous metal(s) in a high temperature crucible and heating until melted. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein step (a) includes mixing in a blender.