System and method for using metal-wrapped carbon-containing powders in a vacuum induction melting furnace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026062784-A1
Application number	US-202519376737-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 31, 2025
Priority date	Aug 2, 2018
Publication date	Mar 5, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vacuum induction melting (VIM) furnace and method of using. A VIM is configured for use with metal-containing carbon powders. In operation, the metal-containing carbon powders are formed into a pellet so as to minimize or eliminate ejection of material during introduction of the pellet into the VIM processor. The VIM processor may be substituted or used in combination with a vacuum arc melt processing apparatus, an electron beam melt furnace, an ion plating furnace, a plasma flame source, a smelter, a traditional metal-metal melt furnace, or any equivalent. Pelletizing can be accomplished through use of a press or through application of any pelletizing technique and/or use of any apparatus that is able to generate pellets that have sufficient mass to avoid ejection from a VIM processor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vacuum induction melting furnace system, comprising:
a vacuum induction melting processor configured to melt a metal-containing powder and/or metal-containing pellets.

2 . The vacuum induction melting furnace system as recited in claim 1 , comprising a pelletizer configured to form the metal-containing pellets.

3 . The vacuum induction melting furnace system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal-containing powder and/or metal-containing pellets include a metal-decorated carbon powder.

4 . The vacuum induction melting furnace system as recited in claim 3 , comprising a plasma reactor for forming the metal-decorated carbon powder.

5 . The vacuum induction melting furnace system as recited in claim 4 , comprising a gas-solid separator for separating a gas from the metal-decorated carbon powder formed by the plasma reactor.

6 . The vacuum induction melting furnace system as recited in claim 1 , comprising a mold configured to receive the melted metal-containing powder and/or metal-containing pellets.

7 . A material formed using the vacuum induction melting furnace system as recited in claim 1 .

8 . The material as recited in claim 7 , wherein the material includes an alloy comprising nickel, iron, chromium, and carbon.

9 . A method, comprising:
melting at least one metal with a carbon-containing material in a vacuum induction melting processor for creating a melt of the at least one metal and the carbon-containing material; and forming the melt into a component.

10 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the carbon-containing material includes pellets of a metal-decorated carbon powder.

11 . The method as recited in claim 10 , comprising using a pelletizer to form the metal-decorated carbon powder into the pellets.

12 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the carbon-containing material includes a metal-decorated carbon powder.

13 . The method as recited in claim 12 , comprising forming the metal-decorated carbon powder using a plasma reactor.

14 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein forming the melt into a component includes placing the melt in a mold.

15 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one metal includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, and chromium.

16 . The method as recited in claim 9 , wherein the at least one metal includes nickel, iron, and chromium.

17 . A material formed using the method as recited in claim 9 .

18 . The material as recited in claim 17 , wherein the material includes an alloy comprising nickel, iron, chromium, and carbon.

19 . The material as recited in claim 17 , wherein at least some of the carbon in the material is characterized by having a structure comprising one or more coherent, planar layers.

20 . The material as recited in claim 17 , wherein the material is characterized by one or more characteristics selected from the group consisting of:
at least some of the carbon is interlaced interstitially between basal planes of a metal lattice of the material; the carbon is substantially devoid of defects; a lack of carbon aggregate(s) and/or carbon agglomerate(s) at grain boundaries thereof; and the carbon is present in the metal lattice in an amount of at least about 15 wt %.

Assignees

• Lyten Inc

Inventors

• Stowell Michael
• Sienko Lauren
• Jacobson Daniel
• Lanning Bruce

Classifications

• C22C32/0084

  carbon or graphite as the main non-metallic constituent · CPC title

• B22F1/10

  Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material · CPC title

• B22F1/12

  Metallic powder containing non-metallic particles (containing lubricating or binding agents or organic material B22F1/10) · CPC title

• C23C4/134

  Plasma spraying · CPC title

• B22F1/145

  Chemical treatment, e.g. passivation or decarburisation · CPC title