Manufacturing of oxide-dispersion strengthened alloys by liquid metallurgy

Abstract

Provided herein is a method of producing an oxide-dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy that includes providing a master alloy powder comprising a metal or metal alloy and particles of a metal oxide; adding the master alloy powder to a molten diluent alloy to form an oxide-dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy; and allowing the ODS to solidify. The molten diluent alloy includes a molten metal or metal alloy, and a wetting-enhancing metal is added to the molten diluent alloy either prior to, during, or after adding of the master alloy to the molten diluent alloy. The wetting-enhancing alloy reduces an interfacial energy and vdW attraction between the particles of the metal oxide and the molten alloy diluent to achieve a stable nanoparticulate ODS solid.

1 . A method of producing an oxide-dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy, the method comprising:
 providing a master alloy powder comprising a metal or metal alloy and particles of a metal oxide;   adding the master alloy powder to a molten diluent alloy to form an oxide-dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy; and   allowing the ODS to solidify;   wherein:
 the molten diluent alloy comprises a molten metal or metal alloy; 
 a wetting-enhancing metal (or an alloying element) is added to the molten diluent alloy either prior to, during, or after adding of the master alloy to the molten diluent alloy; and 
 the wetting-enhancing alloy reduces an interfacial energy and van der Waals attraction between the particles of the metal oxide and the molten alloy diluent to achieve a stable nanoparticulate ODS solid. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the allowing the ODS to solidify comprises casting the ODS alloy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal or metal alloy of the master alloy powder and the molten diluent alloy are individually Al, Mg, Fe, Ag, Cu, Mn, Ni, Ti, Cr, Co, Au, or Zn. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal or metal alloy of the master alloy powder and the molten diluent alloy comprise Fe, Mg, Mn, Co, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal or metal alloy of the master alloy powder and the molten diluent alloy are the same. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal or metal alloy of the master alloy powder and the molten diluent alloy both comprise a steel. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particles of metal oxide particles comprise Al 2 O 3 , Y 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , MgAl 2 O 4 , yttria stabilized zirconia, MgO, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particles of the metal oxide particles are microparticles or nanoparticles. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the particles of the metal oxide particles are nanoparticles. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wetting-enhancing metal comprises Nb, Cr, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A bulk metal matrix formed by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A bulk metal matrix comprising a metal matrix and a plurality of uniformly dispersed metal oxide particles, wherein the oxide particles comprise at their surface a wetting-enhancing metal (or an alloying element) that reduces the interfacial energy and vdW attraction between the oxide particles and the bulk metal in molten metal. 
     
     
         13 . The bulk metal matrix of  claim 12 , wherein the metal matrix comprises Al, Mg, Fe, Ag, Cu, Mn, Ni, Ti, Cr, Co, Au, Zn, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The bulk metal matrix of  claim 12 , wherein the metal matrix comprises a steel. 
     
     
         15 . The bulk metal matrix of  claim 12 , wherein the metal oxide particles comprise Al 2 O 3 , Y 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , MgAl 2 O 4 , yttria stabilized zirconia, MgO, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The bulk metal matrix of  claim 12 , wherein the wetting-enhancing metal comprises Nb, Cr, or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         17 . A method of manufacturing an ODS master alloy with high oxide nanoparticle loading for dilution to final ODA alloys comprising rapidly heating one or more metal of the alloy with the oxide nanoparticles for a period of time that less than the amount of time to sinter a majority of the oxide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the metal of the alloy with the oxide nanoparticles are rapidly heated using arc melting or laser melting.