Method for producing a component from an amorphous-phase metal alloy

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a component from an at least partially amorphous metal alloy, having the steps of: preparing a powder of an at least partially amorphous metal alloy, wherein the powder consists of spherical powder particles and the powder particles have a diameter of less than 125 μm; pressing the powder into the desired shape of the component to be generated; compressing and sintering the powder by means of a heat treatment of the powder during pressing or after pressing at a temperature between the transformation temperature and the crystallisation temperature of the amorphous phase of the metal alloy, wherein the duration of the heat treatment is chosen such that the component is sintered after heat treatment and has an amorphous fraction of at least 85 percent. The invention also relates to a component made of a pressed, sintered, spherical, amorphous metal alloy powder, wherein the component has an amorphous fraction of at least 85 percent, and to the use of such a component as gear wheel, abrasive wheel, wear-resistant component, housing, watch casing, part of a gearing or semi-finished product.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A process for producing a component of an at least partly amorphous metal alloy comprising the following steps:
 providing a powder of an at least partly amorphous metal alloy, the powder consisting of spherical particles having a diameter of less than 125 μm;   pressing the powder into the desired shape of the component to be produced;   compressing and sintering the powder by a heat treatment, during or after the pressing, at a temperature between the transformation temperature and the crystallization temperature of the amorphous phase of the metal alloy, the duration of the heat treatment being selected so that after the heat treatment the component is sintered and has an amorphous proportion of at least 85 percent.   
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the heat treatment is done under vacuum, the powder being compressed by heat treatment under a vacuum of at least 10 −3  mbar. 
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the powder is compressed by hot isostatic pressing or hot pressing. 
     
     
         19 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the duration of heat treatment is selected so that the component's amorphous proportion is at least 90 percent. 
     
     
         20 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein a powder is used that is made of an amorphous metal alloy comprising at least 50 weight percent zirconium. 
     
     
         21 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein a powder of an amorphous metal alloy of
 a) 58 to 77 weight percent zirconium;   b) 0 to 3 weight percent hafnium;   c) 20 to 30 weight percent copper;   d) 2 to 6 weight percent aluminum; and   e) 1 to 3 weight percent niobium   is provided.   
     
     
         22 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the spherical amorphous metal alloy powder is produced by atomization. 
     
     
         23 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the powder has less than 1 weight percent of particles with a diameter smaller than 5 μm, or the powder is screened or treated by air classification, so that it has less than 1 weight percent of particles with a diameter smaller than 5 μm. 
     
     
         24 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the heat treatment of the powder takes place at a temperature (T) between the transformation temperature and a maximum temperature that exceeds the transformation temperature (T T ) by 30% of the temperature difference between the transformation temperature (T T ) and the crystallization temperature (T C ) of the amorphous phase of the metal alloy, exceeding it by 20% or 10% of this temperature difference. 
     
     
         25 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the duration of the heat treatment is selected as a function of the geometric shape of the component to be produced or as a function of the largest relevant diameter of the component to be produced. 
     
     
         26 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the duration of heat treatment is in the time range from 3 to 900 seconds per millimeter thickness, or in the time range from 5 to 600 seconds with respect to the greatest relevant diameter of the component to be produced. 
     
     
         27 . The process according to  claim 16 , wherein the powder particles are plastically deformed by the heat treatment. 
     
     
         28 . A component made of a pressed, sintered, spherical, amorphous metal alloy powder, the component having an amorphous proportion of at least 85 percent. 
     
     
         29 . The component according to  claim 28 , which is produced by a process comprising:
 providing a powder of an at least partly amorphous metal alloy, the powder consisting of spherical particles having a diameter of less than 125 μm;   pressing the powder into the desired shape of the component to be produced;   compressing and sintering the powder by a heat treatment, during or after the pressing, at a temperature between the transformation temperature and the crystallization temperature of the amorphous phase of the metal alloy, the duration of the heat treatment being selected so that after the heat treatment the component is sintered and has an amorphous proportion of at least 85 percent.