Method for heat treating an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12533727-B2
Application number	US-202418644547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2024
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

A method is provided in which a lower box comprising a base, walls that surround the base and an open side, and an upper box comprising a cover, walls that surround the cover and an open side are provided. One or more objects are arranged on the base of the lower box. The object(s) are covered with the upper box such that the open side of the upper is oriented towards the base of the box, the walls of the upper box are arranged on the base of the lower box and a gap is formed between the walls of the upper box and the walls of the lower box. A powder material is introduced into the gap in order to form an assembly having an interior. The powder material provides a mechanical obstacle to gas exchange between the interior and the environment. This assembly is then heat treated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for heat treating an object, the method comprising the following:
providing a first plate, providing a box comprising a base, walls that surround the base and an open side opposing the base, the base having at least one hole, arranging a powder material on the base of the lower box, arranging the first plate on the powder material, arranging one or more objects on the first plate, placing a cover on the box, the one or more objects thus being covered and an assembly having an interior being formed, the powder material providing a mechanical obstacle to gas exchange between the interior and an environment, and heat treating the assembly.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein an inert material and/or a reactive material is used as the powder material.

3 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the inert material is an oxide and/or the reactive material is an oxygen getter.

4 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein the reactive material is activated carbon or a metal powder.

5 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the powder material comprises layers of different powder materials.

6 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the powder material comprises a first layer containing an inert material and a second layer containing a reactive material.

7 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the powder material comprises at least 15 wt % of at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu.

8 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the base, the walls and seams between the base and the walls of the box are gas-tight and wherein the cover, the walls and the seams between the cover and the walls of the box are gas-tight.

9 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly is subjected to the heat treatment at a temperature above 900° C.

10 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the box is made of molybdenum, an alloyed high-temperature steel or iron.

11 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first plate and the box are made of molybdenum, an alloyed high-temperature steel or iron.

12 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the assembly further comprises a support structure for the objects and the objects are arranged in the support structure.

13 . A method according to claim 12 , wherein the support structure comprises a plurality of support plates that are stacked one on top of the other and held spaced apart by supporting frames, or the support structure has the form of a corrugated sheet.

14 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the powder material comprises at least one element that is contained in the object in order to compensate for evaporation of the at least one element from the object and/or to increase vapor pressure of the at least one element in the interior of the assembly.

15 . A method according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one element is the rare-earth element samarium or dysprosium.

16 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a precursor having 2R and 17M, R being at least one element from the group consisting of Ce, La, Nd, Pr, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yt, Lu and Y, and M being at least one element from the group consisting of Co, Fe, Cu and Zr.

17 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a Sm 2 Co 17 -based alloy that comprises one or more element from the group consisting of Ce, La, Nd, Pr, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yt, Lu and Y in addition to Sm, and one or more element from the group consisting of Fe, Cu, Zr, Ni, Hf and Ti in addition to Co, where 0 wt %≤Hf≤3 wt %, 0 wt %≤Ti≤3 wt %, and 0 wt %≤Ni≤10 wt %.

18 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the object comprises La 1-a R a (Fe 1-x-y T y M x ) 13 H z C b , M including Si and optionally including Al, T being at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Ni, Ti, V and Cr, and R being at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ce, Nd, Y and Pr, where 0≤a≤0.5, 0.05≤x≤0.2, 0.003≤y≤0.2, 0≤z≤3 and 0≤b≤1.5.

Assignees

• Vacuumschmelze Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Üstüner Kaan
• Katter Matthias
• Brombacher Christoph
• Benedikt Daniela

Classifications

• F27B2005/162

  through closable or non-closable openings of the chamber walls · CPC title

• B22F2301/155

  Rare Earth - Co or -Ni intermetallic alloys · CPC title

• B22F2201/10

  Inert gases · CPC title

• B22F2003/1014

  Getter · CPC title

• C21D9/0025

  Supports; Baskets; Containers; Covers · CPC title