Nanostructure self-dispersion and self-stabilization in molten metals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11040395-B2
Application number	US-201716090130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A metal matrix nanocomposite includes: 1) a matrix including one or more metals; and 2) nanostructures uniformly dispersed and stabilized in the matrix at a volume fraction, including those greater than about 3% of the nanocomposite.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bulk metal matrix nanocomposite comprising:
a bulk metal matrix including one or more metals; and
nanostructures uniformly dispersed throughout the bulk metal matrix at a volume fraction of greater than 3% of the nanocomposite,
wherein the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite is prepared by a process comprising:
forming a melt with the one or more metals;
introducing nanostructure material to the melt thereby forming a uniform, stabilized dispersion of the nanostructures in the melt; and
cooling the melt to form a bulk metal matrix nanocomposite including the nanostructures uniformly dispersed therein,
wherein the nanostructures are capable of being stably self-dispersed in the melt without ultrasonic processing of the melt,
wherein the bulk metal matrix includes one or more metals selected from Al, Mg, Fe, Ag, Cu, Mn, Ni, Ti, Cr, Co, and Zn, and
the nanocomposite meets formula (1) and/or formula (2):
| W vdwmax |<kT   (1)

|[( A nanostructure ) 1/2 −( A matrix ) 1/2 ] 2 ×( 1/12)×( R/d 1 )|< kT   (2),

wherein
A nanostructure is the Hamaker constant of the nanostructure material,
A matrix is the Hamaker constant of the bulk metal matrix material,
T is a processing temperature of the melt;
R is an average effective radius of the nanostructures,
d 1 is about 0.4 nm, and
k is Boltzmann's constant.

2. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures have an average dimension in a range of 1 nm to 100 nm.

3. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures include a ceramic.

4. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 3 , wherein the ceramic is a transition metal-containing ceramic.

5. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 4 , wherein the transition metal-containing ceramic is selected from transition metal carbides, transition metal silicides, transition metal borides, and transition metal nitrides.

6. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the nanostructures include a transition metal in elemental form.

7. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 6 , wherein the transition metal is W.

8. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the volume fraction of the nanostructures in the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite is 5% or greater.

9. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the volume fraction of the nanostructures in the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite is 10% or greater.

10. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the matrix includes Al, and the nanostructures include a transition metal carbide or a transition metal boride.

11. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the matrix includes Fe, and the nanostructures include a transition metal carbide, a transition metal boride, or a post-transition metal oxide.

12. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the matrix includes Ag, and the nanostructures include a transition metal in elemental form.

13. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the matrix includes Cu, and the nanostructures include a transition metal in elemental form or a transition metal carbide.

14. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the matrix includes Zn, and the nanostructures include a transition metal in elemental form or a transition metal carbide.

15. The bulk metal matrix nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the matrix includes Ti, and the nanostructures include a transition metal in elemental form or a transition metal silicide.

16. A bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article comprising:
a matrix including Al; and
nanostructures uniformly dispersed in the matrix at a volume fraction of greater than 3% of the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article,
wherein the nanostructures include a transition metal carbide or a transition metal boride, and
wherein the nanostructures are capable of being stably self-dispersed in a melt of the matrix without ultrasonic processing of the melt.

17. A bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article comprising:
a matrix including Al; and
nanostructures uniformly dispersed in the matrix at a volume fraction of greater than 3% of the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article,
wherein the nanostructures include a nanostructure material,
wherein formation of the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite comprises forming a melt of Al, and a contact angle θ of the melt of Al with a respect to a surface of the nanostructure material is less than 90°,
wherein |[(A nanostructure ) 1/2 −(A aluminum ) 1/2 ] 2 ×( 1/12)×(R/d 1 )|<15.6 zJ, and A nanostructure is the Hamaker constant of the nanostructure material, A aluminum is the Hamaker constant of Al, R is an average effective radius of the nanostructures, d 1 is 0.4 nm, and k is Boltzmann's constant, and
wherein the nanostructures are capable of being stably self-dispersed in the melt without ultrasonic processing of the melt.

18. A bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article comprising:
a matrix including Fe; and
nanostructures uniformly dispersed in the matrix at a volume fraction of greater than 3% of the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article,
wherein the nanostructures include a transition metal carbide, a transition metal boride, or a post-transition metal oxide, and
wherein the nanostructures are capable of being stably self-dispersed in a melt of the matrix without ultrasonic processing of the melt.

19. A bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article comprising:
a matrix including Fe; and
nanostructures uniformly dispersed in the matrix at a volume fraction of greater than 3% of the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article,
wherein the nanostructures include a nanostructure material,
wherein formation of the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite comprises forming a melt of Fe, and a contact angle θ of the melt of Fe with a respect to a surface of the nanostructure material is less than 90°,
wherein |[(A nanostructure ) 1/2 −(A iron ) 1/2 ] 2 ×( 1/12)×(R/d 1 )|<27.8 zJ, and A nanostructure is the Hamaker constant of the nanostructure material, A iron is the Hamaker constant of Fe, R is an Aron average effective radius of the nanostructures, d 1 is 0.4 nm, and k is Boltzmann's constant, and
wherein the nanostructures are capable of being stably self-dispersed in the melt without ultrasonic processing of the melt.

20. A bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article comprising:
a matrix including Ag; and
nanostructures uniformly dispersed in the matrix at a volume fraction of greater than 3% of the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article,
wherein the nanostructures include a transition metal in elemental form, and
wherein the nanostructures are capable of being stably self-dispersed in a melt of the matrix without ultrasonic processing of the melt.

21. A bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article comprising:
a matrix including Ag; and
nanostructures uniformly dispersed in the matrix at a volume fraction of greater than 3% of the bulk metal matrix nanocomposite article,
wherein the nanostructures include a nanostructure material,
wherein formation of the matrix nanocomposite comprises forming a melt of Ag, and a contact angle θ of the melt of Ag with a respect to a surface of the nanostructure material is less than 90°,
wherein |[(A nanostructure ) 1/2 −(A silver ) 1/2 ] 2 ×( 1/12)×(R/d 1 )|<19.8 zJ, and A nanostructure is the Hamaker constant of the nanostructure material, A silver is the Hamaker constant of Ag, R is an average effecti

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Li Xiaochun
• Xu Jiaquan

Classifications

• C22C1/1036

  starting from a melt · CPC title

• C22C32/0073

  only borides · CPC title

• C22C32/0052 Primary

  only carbides · CPC title

• B22F1/0547 Primary

  Nanofibres or nanotubes · CPC title

• B22F1/0551

  Flake form nanoparticles · CPC title