Lu Yang

US Patent:

20140255240, Sep 11, 2014

Filed:

Jan 10, 2014

Appl. No.:

14/152787

Inventors:

- Salt Lake City UT, US
Pei Sun - Salt Lake City UT, US
James Paramore - Salt Lake City UT, US
Hongtao Wang - Sallt Lake City UT, US
Mark Koopman - Salt Lake City UT, US
Lu Yang - Salt Lake City UT, US

International Classification:

B22F 3/24

US Classification:

419 29, 75245

Abstract:

A process includes sintering hydrogenated titanium or titanium hydride (TiH) and/or Ti metal in a dynamically controlled hydrogen atmosphere with hydrogen partial pressure greater than 0.01 atmosphere and at elevated temperature, to form a sintered titanium material; equilibrate the sintered material at an equilibration temperature below the sintering temperature and above the phase transformations including eutectoid decomposition temperature for an equilibration time sufficient for the hydrogen within the sample to reach equilibrium and homogenize the sintered titanium material; holding the sintered titanium material at a hold temperature below the temperature of sintering and a hold time sufficient for phase transformations including eutectoid decomposition of the sintered titanium material; and heating the sintered titanium material under vacuum, inert atmosphere, or a combination of both at a hold temperature which is less than that of the sintering temperature, to form titanium metal, or a titanium metal alloy with fine or ultrafine grain sizes; where the dynamically controlled hydrogen atmosphere varies as a function of time and temperature throughout the thermal cycle and includes hydrogen during the sintering and phase transformations including eutectoid decomposition steps.