Nickel silicon and refractory metal alloy

Abstract

An alloy for use as a protective coating for metal bodies is composed of a substantial amount of metal A (molybdenum or tungsten or both), a substantial amount of metal B (cobalt or nickel or both), and silicon; the sum of the amounts of metals A and B being at least 60 atomic percent of the alloy; the amount of silicon and the relative amounts of metals A and B being such as to provide 30-85 volume percent of the alloy in the Laves phase, the Laves phase being distributed in a relatively soft matrix of the remaining 70-15 volume percent of the alloy.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An alloy consisting essentially of a substantial amount of .[.at least one metal A.]. .Iadd.tungsten .Iaddend.and a substantial amount of at least one metal B, and silicon .[.metal A being selected from the group consisting of molybdenum and tungsten and.]. metal B being selected from the group consisting of cobalt and nickel; the sum of the amounts of .[.metals A and.]. .Iadd.tungsten and metal .Iaddend.B being at least 60 atomic percent of the alloy; the amount of silicon and the relative amounts of .[.metals A and.]. .Iadd.tungsten and metal .Iaddend.B being such as to provide 30-85 volume percent of said alloy in the Laves phase; said Laves phase being distributed in a relatively soft matrix of the remaining 70-15 volume percent of said alloy. 
     
     
       2. An alloy as in claim 1 wherein said matrix is a primary solid solution. 
     
     
       3. An alloy as in claim 1 also containing chromium.  .[.4. An alloy as in claim 1 wherein said metal A is tungsten..]. .[.5. An alloy as in claim 1 wherein said metal A is molybdenum..].  .[.6. An alloy as in claim 1 
     
     
        wherein said metal B is nickel..]. 7. An alloy as in claim 1 wherein said 
     
     
        metal B is cobalt. 8. An alloy as in claim 1 wherein .[.said metal A is tungsten and.]. said metal B is nickel.  .[.9. An alloy as in claim 1 wherein said metal A is molybdenum and said metal B is nickel..]. .[.10. An alloy as in claim 1 wherein said metal A is tungsten and said metal B 
     
     
        is cobalt..]. 11. An alloy as in claim 1 containing at least about 3 
     
     
        weight percent silicon. 12. An alloy as in claim 1 containing at least 
     
     
        about 6 weight percent silicon. 13. The alloy of claim 1 in powdered form. .Iadd. 14. An alloy consisting essentially of a substantial amount of at least one metal A and a substantial amount of cobalt, and silicon, metal A being selected from the group consisting of molybdenum and tungsten; the sum of the amounts of metal A and cobalt being at least 60 atomic percent of the alloy; the amount of silicon and the relative amounts of metal A and cobalt being such as to provide 30-85 volume percent of said alloy in the Laves phase; said Laves phase being distributed in a relatively soft matrix of the remaining 70-15 percent of said alloy. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. An alloy as in claim 14 wherein said matrix is a primary solid solution. .Iaddend..Iadd. 16. An alloy as in claim 14 also containing chromium. .Iaddend..Iadd. 17. An alloy as in claim 14 containing at least about 3 weight percent silicon. .Iaddend..Iadd. 18. An alloy as in claim 14 containing at least about 6 weight percent silicon. .Iaddend..Iadd. 19. The alloy of claim 14 in powdered form. .Iaddend..Iadd. 20. An alloy consisting essentially of a substantial amount of molybdenum and a substantial amount of cobalt, and silicon; the sum of the amounts of molybdenum and cobalt being at least 60 atomic percent of the alloy; the amount of silicon and the relative amounts of molybdenum and cobalt being such as to provide 30-85 volume percent of said alloy in the Laves phase; said Laves phase being distributed in a relatively soft matrix of the remaining 70-15 volume percent of said alloy. .Iaddend..Iadd. 21. An alloy as in claim 20 wherein said matrix is a primary solid solution. .Iaddend..Iadd. 22. An alloy as in claim 20 also containing chromium. .Iaddend..Iadd. 23. An alloy as in claim 20 containing at least about 3 weight percent silicon. .Iaddend..Iadd. 24. An alloy as in claim 20 containing at least about 6 weight percent silicon. .Iaddend..Iadd. 25. The alloy of claim 20 is powdered form. .Iaddend.