Ageing, Solution Treating (i.e., For Hardening), Precipitation Strengthening Or Precipitation Hardening Patents (Class 148/607)
  • Patent number: 10934847
    Abstract: A steam turbine rotor blade includes a protrusion portion (7) which is provided on a tip end portion of a blade body (61), on which a leading edge portion (61a) is formed, in a blade height direction and protrudes from a suction-side surface (612) toward the leading edge portion (61a) side, and a transition-region seal member which is provided so as to cover at least a portion of a base end-side surface of the protrusion portion (7) and a leading edge-side transition region, which faces the leading edge portion (61a) side, of a connection portion between the protrusion portion (7) and the suction-side surface (612), the transition-region seal member being formed of a material having a hardness higher than that of the blade body (61).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI POWER, LTD.
    Inventors: Shohei Danno, Takashi Maruyama, Keiichiro Miyajima
  • Patent number: 10626487
    Abstract: An austenitic heat-resistant cast steel includes 0.1% to 0.6% by mass of C, 1.0% to 3.0% by mass of Si, 0.5% to 1.5% by mass of Mn, 0.05% by mass or less of P, 0.05% to 0.3% by mass of S, 9% to 16% by mass of Ni, 14% to 20% by mass of Cr, 0.1% to 0.2% by mass of N, and the balance of iron and inevitable impurities, in which a matrix structure of the austenitic heat-resistant cast steel is composed of austenite crystal grains, and a ferrite phase is dispersed and interposed between the austenite crystal grains so as to cover the austenite crystal grains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, AISIN TAKAOKA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazumi Ohtake, Takamichi Ueda, Yoshikazu Genma, Takahiro Sato, Hiroshi Fujii
  • Patent number: 10589342
    Abstract: A method of forming a fastener includes inserting a blank precursor into a bore of a forming die having an enlarged bore portion, applying a first axial compression force to the blank precursor, and forming a cold-worked head section and an enlarged shank portion on the blank precursor corresponding to the enlarged bore portion. The enlarged shank portion has a nominal shank portion extending therefrom. The method additionally includes inserting the nominal shank portion into a bore of a final reduction die, applying a second axial compression force to the enlarged shank portion, and urging the enlarged shank portion into the bore of the final reduction die. The method includes reducing a cross-sectional area of the enlarged shank portion by approximately 2 to 5 percent to form a cold-worked shank section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Steven G. Keener
  • Patent number: 10486223
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a golf club head includes providing a club head body produced by electric smelting an alloy base material including 0.04-0.07 wt % of carbon, 0.5-1.0 wt % of manganese, 0.5-1.0 wt % of silicon, less than 0.04 wt % of phosphorus, less than 0.03 wt % of sulfur, 15-17.7 wt % of chromium, 3.6-5.1 wt % of nickel, 2.8-3.5 wt % of copper, with the rest being iron and inevitable impurities. A solid solution treatment is proceeded at 1020-1080° C. for 80-100 minutes to form austenite and martensite in the club head body. A deep cooling treatment is proceeded between ?120° C. and ?80° C. for 7-9 hours to turn the austenite in the club head body into martensite. An aging treatment is proceeded on the club head body at 460-500° C. for 210-270 minutes to provide a hardness of HRC 36-46. A hosel is heated with high frequency waves at 900-1000° C. to posses a hardness lower than HRC 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Fusheng Precision Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bao-Bin Li, Zhi-Nan Lin
  • Patent number: 9416436
    Abstract: The present invention aim at providing a steel for steam turbine blades which is excellent in terms of strength and toughness. The steel of the present invention has a composition which contains, in terms of % by mass, 0.02-0.10% of C, up to 0.25% of Si, 0.001-0.10% of Mn, up to 0.010% of P, up to 0.010% of S, 8.5-10.0% of Ni, 10.5-13.0% of Cr, 2.0-2.5% of Mo, 0.001-0.010% of N, 1.15-1.50% of Al, less than 0.10% of Cu, up to 0.20% of Ti, and the remainder being incidental impurities and Fe, and which satisfies 6.0?Ni/Al?8.0, 9.0?Nieq?11.0 and 17.0?Creq?19.0, in which Nieq=[Ni]+0.11[Mn]?0.0086([Mn]2)+0.44[Cu]+18.4[N]+24.5[C] Creq=[Cr]+1.21[Mo]+0.48[Si]+2.2[Ti]+2.48[A1].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: DAIDO STEEL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Takabayashi, Shigeki Ueta
  • Publication number: 20150136280
    Abstract: This method for setting aging conditions is provided with: a step for acquiring a master curve (20) indicating the relationship between an aging condition parameter and a material strength parameter by executing an aging process on a standard material; a step for acquiring a fitting point (A) indicating the value of the material strength parameter of a subject material of which the chemical component parameters and/or metal structure parameters differ from those of the standard material; a step for acquiring a corrected aging curve (30) by correcting the master curve (20) in a manner so that a portion of the master curve (20) corresponds to the fitting point (A); and a step for setting aging conditions for the subject material on the basis of the corrected aging curve (30).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: MITSUBISHI HITACHI POWER SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Hirakawa, Takayuki Kurimura, Hiroharu Oyama
  • Publication number: 20150076386
    Abstract: An iron-based alloy includes (in weight percent) carbon from about 1 to about 2 percent; manganese up to about 1 percent; silicon up to about 1 percent; nickel up to about 4 percent; chromium from about 10 to about 25 percent; molybdenum from about 5 to about 20 percent; tungsten up to about 4 percent; cobalt from about 17 to about 23 percent; vanadium up to about 1.5 percent; boron up to about 0.2 percent; sulfur up to about 0.03 percent; nitrogen up to about 0.4 percent; phosphorus up to about 0.06 percent; niobium up to about 4 percent; iron from about 35 to about 55 percent; and incidental impurities. The chromium/molybdenum ratio of the iron-based alloy is from about 1 to about 2.5. The alloy is suitable for use in elevated temperature applications, such as valve seat inserts for combustion engines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: L.E. Jones Company
    Inventors: Cong Yue Qiao, David Doll, Todd Trudeau, Peter Vennema
  • Publication number: 20150075681
    Abstract: A martensitic stainless steel alloy is strengthened by copper-nucleated nitride precipitates. The alloy includes, in combination by weight percent, about 10.0 to about 12.5 Cr, about 2.0 to about 7.5 Ni, up to about 17.0 Co, about 0.6 to about 1.5 Mo, about 0.5 to about 2.3 Cu, up to about 0.6 Mn, up to about 0.4 Si, about 0.05 to about 0.15 V, up to about 0.10 N, up to about 0.035 C, up to about 0.01 W, and the balance Fe and incidental elements and impurities. The nitride precipitates may be enriched by one or more transition metals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventors: James A. Wright, Gregory B. Olson, Weija Tang
  • Publication number: 20150034037
    Abstract: An iron-based alloy includes, in weight percent, carbon from about 2 to about 3 percent; manganese from about 0.1 to about 0.4 percent; silicon from about 0.3 to about 0.8 percent; chromium from about 11.5 to about 14.5 percent; nickel from about 0.05 to about 0.6 percent; vanadium from about 0.8 to about 2.2 percent; molybdenum from about 4 to about 7 percent; tungsten from about 3 to about 5 percent; niobium from about 1 to about 3 percent; cobalt from about 3 to about 5 percent; boron from zero to about 0.2 percent; and the balance containing iron and incidental impurities. The alloy is suitable for use in elevated temperature applications such as in valve seat inserts for combustion engines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: L. E. Jones Company
    Inventors: Cong Yue Qiao, Peter Vennema, Douglas W. Dooley, David Doll
  • Patent number: 8808474
    Abstract: A method fabricating a stainless martensitic steel, including electroslag remelting then cooling an ingot of the steel, then at least one austenitic thermal cycle heating the ingot above its austenitic temperature followed by a cooling. During each cooling: if the cooling is not followed by an austenitic thermal cycle, holding the ingot at a holding temperature included in the ferritic-pearlitic transformation nose for a hold time longer than sufficient for transforming the austenite into a ferritic-pearlitic structure in the ingot as completely as possible at the holding temperature; if the cooling is followed by an austenitic thermal cycle, before its minimum temperature falls below the martensitic transformation start temperature, the ingot is either held throughout the period between the two austenitic thermal cycles at a temperature above the austenitic transformation completion temperature on heating, or held at the holding temperature included in the ferritic-pearlitic transformation nose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: SNECMA
    Inventors: Laurent Ferrer, Patrick Philipson
  • Patent number: 8663403
    Abstract: A precipitation-hardened stainless steel alloy comprises, by weight: about 14.0 to about 16.0 percent chromium; about 6.0 to about 8.0 percent nickel; about 1.25 to about 1.75 percent copper; greater than about 1.5 to about 2.0 percent molybdenum; about 0.001 to about 0.025 percent carbon; niobium in an amount greater than about twenty times that of carbon; and the balance iron and incidental impurities. The alloy has an aged microstructure and an ultimate tensile strength of at least about 1100 MPa and a Charpy V-notch toughness of at least about 69 J. In one embodiment, the aged microstructure includes martensite and not more than about 10% reverted austenite. In another embodiment, the alloy includes substantially all martensite and substantially no reverted austenite. The alloy is useful for making turbine airfoils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jianqiang Chen, Thomas Michael Moors, Jon Conrad Schaeffer
  • Patent number: 8647448
    Abstract: A steel piston ring and a steel cylinder liner are described which comprise as the main body a steel composition which has good nitridability. The steel composition consists of the following elements: 0-0.5 weight % B, 0.5-1.2 weight % C, 4.0-20.0 weight % Cr, 0-2.0 weight % Cu, 45.30-91.25 weight % Fe, 0.1-3.0 weight % Mn, 0.1-3.0 weight % Mo, 0-0.05 weight % Nb, 2.0-12.0 weight % Ni, 0-0.1 weight % P, 0-0.05 weight % Pb, 0-0.05 weight % S, 2.0-10.0 weight % Si, 0-0.05 weight % Sn, 0.05-2.0 weight % V, 0-0.2 weight % Ti and 0-0.5 weight % W. The steel piston ring and the steel cylinder liner can be manufactured in a casting process using the machinery and technology employed for the manufacture of cast iron parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Federal-Mogul Burscheid GmbH
    Inventor: Laszlo Pelsoeczy
  • Publication number: 20130312880
    Abstract: Provided is a duplex stainless steel having a high strength and a high toughness. A stainless steel according to the present invention includes: a chemical composition containing, in mass percent, C: at most 0.030%, Si: 0.20 to 1.00%, Mn: at most 8.00%, P: at most 0.040%, S: at most 0.0100%, Cu: more than 2.00% and at most 4.00%, Ni: 4.00 to 8.00%, Cr: 20.0 to 30.0%, Mo: at least 0.50% and less than 2.00%, N: 0.100 to 0.350%, and sol. Al: at most 0.040%, the balance being Fe and impurities; and a structure, wherein a rate of ferrite in the structure is 30 to 70%, and a hardness of the ferrite in the structure is at least 300 Hv10gf.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Motoya, Masahiko Hamada, Hisashi Amaya, Hiroyuki Nagayama, Kenta Yamada
  • Patent number: 8506729
    Abstract: An austenitic stainless steel hot-rolled steel material can be provided which has sea-water resistance and strength superior to conventional steel. Low-temperature toughness can be maintained, which is preferable in a structural member of speedy craft. The steel material can include an austenitic stainless steel hot-rolled steel material which excels in the properties of corrosion resistance, proof stress, and low-temperature toughness. In such austenitic stainless steel hot-rolling steel material, e.g., PI [=Cr+3.3(Mo+0.5W)+16N] ranges from 35 to 40, ? cal [=2.9 (Cr+0.3Si+Mo+0.5W)?2.6 (Ni+0.3Mn+0.25Cu+35C+20N)?18] ranges from ?6 to +2, and a 0.2% proof stress at room temperature is not less than 550 MPa, Charpy impact value measured using a V-notch test piece at ?40° C. is not less than 100 J/cm2, and the pitting potential measured in a deaerated aqueous solution of 10% NaCl at 50° C. (Vc?100) is not less than 500 mV (as it relates to saturated Ag/AgCl).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Nippon Steel & Sumikin Stainless Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Yuusuke Oikawa, Shinji Tsuge, Shigeo Fukumoto, Kazuhiro Suetsugu, Ryo Matsuhashi, Hiroshige Inoue
  • Patent number: 8479549
    Abstract: A method of producing a seamless, tubular product includes centrifugally casting a corrosion resistant alloy into a tubular workpiece having an inner diameter and an outer diameter. The method then removes material from the inner diameter of the workpiece and subjects the workpiece to at least about a 25% wall reduction at a temperature below a recrystallization temperature of the workpiece using a metal forming process. The metal forming process includes radial forging, rolling, pilgering, and/or flowforming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Dynamic Flowform Corp.
    Inventor: Matthew V. Fonte
  • Publication number: 20130160905
    Abstract: A method for producing a tempered martensitic heat resistant steel for high temperature applications at an application temperature of up to 650° C. and to a steel produced by the method. The use of the steel in the production of components for high temperature applications such as turbine blades or casings, bolting and boiler tubes, heat exchangers or other elements in power generation systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: TATA STEEL NEDERLAND TECHNOLOGY BV
    Inventors: Urszula Alicja Sachadel, Peter Francis Morris, Philip Clarke, Cheng Liu
  • Patent number: 8317944
    Abstract: One or more embodiments relates to a high-temperature, titanium alloyed, 9 Cr-1 Mo steel exhibiting improved creep strength and oxidation resistance at service temperatures up to 650° C. The 9 Cr-1 Mo steel has a tempered martensite microstructure and is comprised of both large (0.5-3 ?m) primary titanium carbides and small (5-50 nm) secondary titanium carbides in a ratio of. from about 1:1.5 to about 1.5:1. The 9 Cr-1 Mo steel may be fabricated using exemplary austenizing, rapid cooling, and tempering steps without subsequent hot working requirements. The 9 Cr-1 Mo steel exhibits improvements in total mass gain, yield strength, and time-to-rupture over ASTM P91 and ASTM P92 at the temperature and time conditions examined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: Paul D. Jablonski, David Alman, Omer Dogan, Gordon Holcomb, Christopher Cowen
  • Patent number: 8313592
    Abstract: A thermal mechanical treatment method includes hot working a precipitation hardening martensitic stainless steel, quenching the stainless steel, and aging the stainless steel. According to certain embodiments, the thermal mechanical treatment does not include solution heat treating the stainless steel prior to aging or cryogenically cooling the stainless steel. An article includes a precipitation hardening martensitic stainless steel having a process history that includes hot working the stainless steel, quenching the stainless steel, and aging the stainless steel. According to certain embodiments, the process history does not include solution heat treating the stainless steel prior to aging or cryogenically cooling the stainless steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: ATI Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-Di Cao, Erin T. McDevitt
  • Patent number: 8273191
    Abstract: Provided is a high-strength stainless steel material having less deterioration in mechanical strength and improved workability, particularly bending workability compared with conventional steel materials. The high-strength stainless steel material of the present invention has a specific composition, has a metal microstructure composed of two phases, that is a ferrite phase and a martensite phase, has a ?max of from 50 to 85, the ?max being represented by the following equation (1): ?max=420Wc+470WN+23WNi+7WMn?11.5WCr?11.5WSi+189??(1) wherein, Wc, WN, WNi, WMn, WCr, and WSi; represent contents (unit: mass %) of C, N, Ni, Mn, Cr, and Si relative to the total mass of the stainless steel material, respectively; and has a difference of 300 HV or less in hardness between the ferrite phase and the martensite phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Nisshin Steel Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Hirakawa, Hiroshi Fujimoto, Satoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8246767
    Abstract: The invention relates to a composition and heat treatment for a high-temperature, titanium alloyed, 9 Cr-1 Mo steel exhibiting improved creep strength and oxidation resistance at service temperatures up to 650° C. The novel combination of composition and heat treatment produces a heat treated material containing both large primary titanium carbides and small secondary titanium carbides. The primary titanium carbides contribute to creep strength while the secondary titanium carbides act to maintain a higher level of chromium in the finished steel for increased oxidation resistance, and strengthen the steel by impeding the movement of dislocations through the crystal structure. The heat treated material provides improved performance at comparable cost to commonly used high-temperature steels such as ASTM P91 and ASTM P92, and requires heat treatment consisting solely of austenization, rapid cooling, tempering, and final cooling, avoiding the need for any hot-working in the austenite temperature range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Paul D. Jablonski, David Alman, Omer Dogan, Gordon Holcomb, Christopher Cowen
  • Patent number: 8172959
    Abstract: There are provided an austenitic stainless steel having high stress corrosion crack resistance, characterized by containing, in percent by weight, 0.030% or less C, 0.1% or less Si, 2.0% or less Mn, 0.03% or less P, 0.002% or less S, 11 to 26% Ni, 17 to 30% Cr, 3% or less Mo, and 0.01% or less N, the balance substantially being Fe and unavoidable impurities; a manufacturing method for an austenitic stainless steel, characterized in that a billet consisting of the said austenitic stainless steel is subjected to solution heat treatment at a temperature of 1000 to 1150° C.; and a pipe and a in-furnace structure for a nuclear reactor to which the said austenitic stainless steel is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignees: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., The Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sakaguchi, Toshihiko Iwamura, Hiroshi Kanasaki, Hidehito Mimaki, Masaki Taneike, Shunichi Suzuki, Kenrou Takamori, Suguru Ooki, Naoki Anahara, Naoki Hiranuma, Toshio Yonezawa
  • Patent number: 8168014
    Abstract: The method for manufacturing a martensitic stainless pipe includes heating the steel pipe until the external surface temperature thereof reaches a predetermined temperature not lower than A3 transformation point+20° C. and not higher than 980° C. The heated steel pipe is first water cooled until the external surface temperature thereof reaches a predetermined temperature not lower than 350° C. The water cooled steel pipe is air cooled until the external surface temperature thereof reaches a predetermined temperature not higher than 250° C. The air cooled steel pipe is either water or air cooled until the external surface temperature thereof reaches normal temperature. The cooling rate of the steel pipe in the first cooling step is determined according to the wall thickness of the steel pipe so that the amount of heat recuperation for the external surface temperature of the steel pipe in the second cooling step is not higher than 50° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Mori
  • Patent number: 8097098
    Abstract: The invention concerns martensitic stainless steel, characterized in that its composition in weight percentages is as follows: 9%=Cr=13%; 1.5%=Mo=3%; 8%=Ni=14%; 1%=Al=2%; 0.5%=Ti=1.5% with AI+Ti=2.25%; traces=Co=2%; traces=W=1% with Mo+(W/2)=3%; traces=P=0.02%; traces=S=0.0050%; traces=N=0.0060%; traces=C=0.025%; traces=Cu=0.5%; traces=Mn=3%; traces=Si=0.25%; traces=O=0.0050%; and is such that: Ms (° C.)=1302 42 Cr 63 Ni 30 Mo+20AI-15W-33Mn-28Si-30Cu-13Co+10 Ti=50Cr eq/Ni eq=1.05 with Cr eq (%)=Cr+2Si+Mo+1.5 Ti+5.5 AI+0.6W Ni eq (%)=2Ni+0.5 Mn+3O C+25 N+Co+0.3 Cu. The invention also concerns a method for making a mechanical part using said steel, and the resulting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Aubert & Duval
    Inventor: Jacques Montagnon
  • Patent number: 8097097
    Abstract: Disclosed is a stainless steel containing, by mass, 0.05% or less carbon, 1.5 to smaller than 3.5% Si, 3.0% or less Mn, 6.0 to 12.0% Cr, 4.0 to 10.0% Ni, 10.0% or less Co, 6.0% or less Cu, 0.5 to 3.0% Ti, 0 to 2.0% Al, less than 0.4% Mo, not more than 0.01% nitrogen, and the balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities. Preferably, it has a hardness of not lower than 59 HRC and may contain not more than 1.0% Nb and/or not more than 1.0% Ta. Alternatively, the stainless steel may further contain not more than 0.1% of Zr. The process for producing the steel includes producing a steel having a composition as described above by a consumable electrode remelting process, and then subjecting the steel to a solution treatment at a temperature of 1000 to 1150° C. and an aging treatment at a temperature of 400 to 550° C., thereby aging the stainless steel to a hardness of not lower than 59 HRC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Inoue, Fumio Tohyama
  • Publication number: 20110232809
    Abstract: A precipitation-hardened stainless steel alloy comprises, by weight: about 14.0 to about 16.0 percent chromium; about 6.0 to about 8.0 percent nickel; about 1.25 to about 1.75 percent copper; greater than about 1.5 to about 2.0 percent molybdenum; about 0.001 to about 0.025 percent carbon; niobium in an amount greater than about twenty times that of carbon; and the balance iron and incidental impurities. The alloy has an aged microstructure and an ultimate tensile strength of at least about 1100 MPa and a Charpy V-notch toughness of at least about 69 J. In one embodiment, the aged microstructure includes martensite and not more than about 10% reverted austenite. In another embodiment, the alloy includes substantially all martensite and substantially no reverted austenite. The alloy is useful for making turbine airfoils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Jianqiang Chen, Thomas Michael Moors, Jon Conrad Schaeffer
  • Patent number: 7985306
    Abstract: A precipitation-hardened stainless steel alloy comprises, by weight: about 14.0 to about 16.0 percent chromium; about 6.0 to about 7.0 percent nickel; about 1.25 to about 1.75 percent copper; about 0.5 to about 2.0 percent molybdenum; about 0.025 to about 0.05 percent carbon; niobium in an amount greater than about twenty times to about twenty-five times that of carbon; and the balance iron and incidental impurities. The alloy has an aged microstructure and an ultimate tensile strength of at least about 1100 MPa and a Charpy V-notch toughness of at least about 69 J. The aged microstructure includes martensite and not more than about 10% reverted austenite and is useful for making turbine airfoils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jianqiang Chen, Thomas Michael Moors, Jon Conrad Schaeffer
  • Publication number: 20110094637
    Abstract: A martensitic stainless steel alloy is strengthened by copper-nucleated nitride precipitates. The alloy includes, in combination by weight percent, about 10.0 to about 12.5 Cr, about 2.0 to about 7.5 Ni, up to about 17.0 Co, about 0.6 to about 1.5 Mo, about 0.5 to about 2.3 Cu, up to about 0.6 Mn, up to about 0.4 Si, about 0.05 to about 0.15 V, up to about 0.10 N, up to about 0.035 C, up to about 0.01 W, and the balance Fe and incidental elements and impurities. The nitride precipitates may be enriched by one or more transition metals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: QUESTEK INNOVATIONS LLC
    Inventors: James A. Wright, Gregory B. Olson, Weija Tang
  • Patent number: 7931758
    Abstract: A thermal mechanical treatment method includes hot working a precipitation hardening martensitic stainless steel, quenching the stainless steel, and aging the stainless steel. According to certain embodiments, the thermal mechanical treatment does not include solution heat treating the stainless steel prior to aging or cryogenically cooling the stainless steel. An article includes a precipitation hardening martensitic stainless steel having a process history that includes hot working the stainless steel, quenching the stainless steel, and aging the stainless steel. According to certain embodiments, the process history does not include solution heat treating the stainless steel prior to aging or cryogenically cooling the stainless steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: ATI Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-Di Cao, Erin T. McDevitt
  • Patent number: 7926180
    Abstract: A method for making gas and liquid storage tanks such as automotive fuel tanks includes providing two or more blanks of air hardenable martensitic stainless steel in the annealed condition. The steel blanks have a thickness in the range of 0.5-5.0 mm., and are formed utilizing stamping, forging, pressing, or roller forming techniques or the like into the form of a tank shell components. The shell components are hardened and assembled into a storage tank. The shell components are hardened by application of heat, preferably to between 950° C. and 1100° C. for standard air hardenable martensitic stainless steels. Thereafter, the automotive fuel tank is preferably cooled at a rate greater than 25° C. per minute to achieve a Rockwell C hardness of at least 39. The automotive fuel tank may undergo additional heat treating processes including high temperature or low temperature tempering processes which may incorporate electro-coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Inventors: Edward J. McCrink, Danny Codd
  • Patent number: 7901519
    Abstract: A precipitation hardenable martensitic stainless steel that includes, in percent by weight, 11.0 to 12.5 percent chromium, 1.0 to 2.5 percent molybdenum, 0.15 to 0.5 percent titanium, 0.7 to 1.5 percent aluminum, 0.5 to 2.5 percent copper, 9.0 to 11.0 percent nickel, up to 0.02 percent carbon, up to 2.0 percent tungsten, and up to 0.001 percent boron. Articles formed from the stainless steel and methods of forming the same are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: ATI Properties, Inc.
    Inventor: Wei-Di Cao
  • Patent number: 7849599
    Abstract: A process to manufacture an oilfield component comprises selectively reinforcing a base material with an age-hardenable clad material and age-hardening the clad material for a selected time and at a selected temperature profile, wherein the age-hardening results in the clad material developing a selected strength gradient. A body of a ram blowout preventer comprises, a low-ally base material, a vertical bore through the body, and a horizontal bore through the body intersecting the vertical bore, wherein at least a portion of the body is selectively reinforced with a clad material, and wherein the clad material is age-hardened for a selected time and at a selected temperature profile resulting in the clad material developing a selected strength gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Hydril USA Manufacturing LLC
    Inventors: Philip A. Huff, Shafiq Khandoker
  • Publication number: 20100193083
    Abstract: A hydrogen-resistant high strength material made of a Ni-based alloy or an Fe—Ni-based alloy includes an aged portion and a hydrogen embrittlement suppressing layer that is to be exposed to hydrogen. The hydrogen embrittlement suppressing layer has a hydrogen embrittlement index of not less than 0.9, wherein the hydrogen embrittlement index is defined as a ratio of an elongation after hydrogen charging in relation to an elongation before hydrogen charging. The aged portion has a tensile strength exceeding 1000 MPa.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori KAMOSHIDA, Shinya IMANO
  • Publication number: 20100193088
    Abstract: A precipitation-hardened stainless steel alloy comprises, by weight: about 14.0 to about 16.0 percent chromium; about 6.0 to about 7.0 percent nickel; about 1.25 to about 1.75 percent copper; about 0.5 to about 2.0 percent molybdenum; about 0.025 to about 0.05 percent carbon; niobium in an amount greater than about twenty times to about twenty-five times that of carbon; and the balance iron and incidental impurities. The alloy has an aged microstructure and an ultimate tensile strength of at least about 1100 MPa and a Charpy V-notch toughness of at least about 69 J. The aged microstructure includes martensite and not more than about 10% reverted austenite and is useful for making turbine airfoils.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2009
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jianqiang Chen, Thomas Michael Moors, Jon Conrad Schaeffer
  • Publication number: 20100051145
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an EGR cooler for a vehicle, which is made of ferrite stainless steel, the ferrite stainless steel including: 0.025˜0.03 wt % of carbon (C), 0.2˜0.8 wt % of silicon (Si), 0.05˜0.8 wt % of manganese (Mn), 0.01˜0.04 wt % of phosphorus (P), 0.01˜0.03 wt % of sulfur (S), 19˜22 wt % of chromium (Cr), 0.2˜0.6 wt % of copper (Cu), 0.25˜0.8 wt % of niobium (Nb) or titanium (Ti), and the balance of iron. A method of manufacturing the EGR cooler for a vehicle includes: heating ferrite stainless steel to a temperature of 1000˜1100° C., maintaining the heated ferrite stainless steel for 30˜60 minutes and then cooling the resulting heated ferrite stainless steel with water; and acid-treating the ferrite stainless steel using an acid solution in which nitric acid and fluoric acid are mixed with distilled water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Jae Gyu Jung
  • Patent number: 7513960
    Abstract: Disclosed is a stainless steel containing, by mass, 0.05% or less carbon, 1.5 to smaller than 3.5% Si, 3.0% or less Mn, 6.0 to 12.0% Cr, 4.0 to 10.0% Ni, 10.0% or less Co, 6.0% or less Cu, 0.5 to 3.0% Ti, 0 to 2.0% Al, not more than 1.0% Mo, not more than 0.01% nitrogen, and the balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities. Preferably, it has a hardness of not lower than 59 HRC and may contain not more than 1.0% Nb and/or not more than 1.0% Ta. Alternatively, the stainless steel may further contain not more than 0.1% of Zr. The process for producing the steel includes producing a steel having a composition as described above by a consumable electrode remelting process, and then subjecting the steel to a solution treatment at a temperature of 1000 to 1150° C. and an aging treatment at a temperature of 400 to 550° C., thereby aging the stainless steel to a hardness of not lower than 59 HRC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Inoue, Fumio Tohyama
  • Patent number: 7485197
    Abstract: In a martensitic stainless steel tube according to the present invention, the content is determined by each of elements C, Si, Mn and Cr, and the bubble content ratio is further prescribed in accordance with the scale thickness on the outer surface of the steel tube, so that defects can be detected with high precision in the non-destructive inspection, such as ultrasonic test or the like. This allows the non-destructive inspection to be carried out with high efficiency. Moreover, there is another advantage that the weather resistance can be enhanced. The steel tube according to the present invention and the manufacturing method thereof can be suitably used in all of the technical fields in which a martensitic stainless steel tube having equal chemical composition is treated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Mutsumi Tanida
  • Patent number: 7475478
    Abstract: A method for making structural automotive components and the like includes providing a blank of air hardenable martensitic stainless steel in the annealed condition. The steel blank has a thickness in the range of 0.5-5.0 mm., and is formed utilizing stamping, forging, pressing, or roller forming techniques or the like into the form of an automotive structural member. The automotive structural member is then hardened by application of heat, preferably to between 950° C. and 1100° C. for standard martensitic stainless steels. Thereafter, the automotive structural member is preferably cooled at a rate greater than 25° C. per minute to achieve a Rockwell C hardness of at least 39. The automotive structural member may undergo additional heat treating processes including high temperature or low temperature tempering processes which may incorporate electro-coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: KVA, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward J. McCrink, Danny Codd
  • Publication number: 20080308198
    Abstract: There are provided an austenitic stainless steel having high stress corrosion crack resistance, characterized by containing, in percent by weight, 0.030% or less C, 0.1% or less Si, 2.0% or less Mn, 0.03% or less P, 0.002% or less S, 11 to 26% Ni, 17 to 30% Cr, 3% or less Mo, and 0.01% or less N, the balance substantially being Fe and unavoidable impurities; a manufacturing method for an austenitic stainless steel, characterized in that a billet consisting of the said austenitic stainless steel is subjected to solution heat treatment at a temperature of 1000 to 1150° C.; and a pipe and a in-furnace structure for a nuclear reactor to which the said austenitic stainless steel is applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicants: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD., THE TOKYO ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Sakaguchi, Toshihiko Iwamura, Hiroshi Kanasaki, Hidehito Mimaki, Masaki Taneike, Shunichi Suzuki, Kenrou Takamori, Suguru Ooki, Naoki Anahara, Naoki Hiranuma, Toshio Yonezawa
  • Patent number: 7448134
    Abstract: Pressed shape steel, made of a low cost general steel material that is not hardened, forms a frame with long grooves cut therein. Guide rails, made of a specialized steel material that can be subjected to a hardening treatment, are hardened. Thereafter, outer surfaces of the hardened guide rails are ground and the guide rails are integrally joined in the long grooves. Ball-rolling grooves are formed in the guide rails, thereby completing a guide-equipped frame for an actuator. Because the general steel material and the specialized steel material are principally ferrous materials, both exhibiting a Young's modulus at or above 170 GPa with substantially the same coefficient of linear thermal expansion, the frame needn't be increased in size or have a complex internal structure to reinforce the strength of the frame, and the guide rails remain securely retained in the grooves even if the actuator experiences changes in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2008
    Assignee: SMC Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Akio Saitoh, Masaru Saitoh
  • Publication number: 20080105340
    Abstract: A process to manufacture an oilfield component including a base material and an age hardenable clad material comprises finish tempering the oilfield component at a selected time and at a selected temperature to temper the base material and age harden the clad material. A body of a ram blowout preventer comprises, a vertical bore through the body and a horizontal bore through the body intersecting the vertical bore, wherein the body is selectively reinforced with a clad material, and wherein the body is formed by a process comprising finish tempering at a selected time and at a selected temperature to temper the base material and age harden the clad material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Inventors: Philip A. Huff, Keith Pruden
  • Publication number: 20080091267
    Abstract: Medical devices, such as endoprostheses, and methods of making the devices are disclosed. The endoprostheses comprise a tubular member capable of maintaining patency of a bodily vessel. The tubular member includes a mixture of at least two compositions, where the presence of the second composition gives the mixture a greater hardness than that of the first composition alone. The first composition includes less than about 25 weight percent chromium, less than about 7 weight percent molybdenum, from about 10 to about 35 weight percent nickel, and iron. The second composition is different from the first and is present from about 0.1 weight percent to about 5 weight percent of the mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Publication date: April 17, 2008
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Stinson, Matthew Cambronne, Richard B. Frank, Richard A. Gleixner, James E. Heilmann
  • Patent number: 7294212
    Abstract: Material for stainless steel sheets is heated to a temperature within a range of 850 to 1250° C. and cooled at a rate 1° C./s or faster, the material including 0.02% by mass or less of C, 1.0% by mass or less of Si, 2.0% by mass or less of Mn, 0.04% by mass or less of P, 0.01% by mass or less of S, 0.1% by mass or less of Al, 11% by mass or more but less than 17% by mass of Cr, 0.5% by mass or more but, less than 3.0% by mass of Ni, and 0.02% by mass or less of N, so as to satisfy specific relationships between the compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Junichiro Hirasawa, Takumi Ujiro, Osamu Furukimi
  • Patent number: 7094295
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a ferritic stainless steel sheet having good workability with less anisotropy. The steps include providing a ferritic stainless steel comprising C up to about 0.03 mass %, N up to about 0.03 mass %, Si up to about 2.0 mass %, Mn up to about 2.0 mass %, Ni up to about 0.6 mass %, Cr about 9–35 mass %, Nb about 0.15–0.80 mass % and the balance being Fe except inevitable impurities; precipitation-heating said stainless steel at a temperature in a range of 700–850° C. for a time period not longer than 25 hours; and finish-annealing said stainless steel at a temperature in a range of 900–1100° C. for a time period not longer than 1 minute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Nisshin Steel Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Manabu Oku, Yoshitomo Fujimura, Yoshiaki Hori, Toshirou Nagoya, Yasutoshi Kunitake, Takeo Tomita
  • Patent number: 7037383
    Abstract: A process for producing a component of metal includes a) carrying out a heat treatment to harden the component, which ends with a heating process, especially with a tempering or microstructural transformation process, at a given temperature (TE); b) carrying out at least machining of the component at room temperature (TU) in order to provide its desired geometrical shape; and c) subsequent heating of the component to a temperature (T) which is greater than room temperature (TU).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: AB SKF
    Inventor: Jürgen Gegner
  • Patent number: 6893727
    Abstract: This invention relates to a stainless steel gasket having markedly improved strength and fatigue properties due to precipitation strengthening. Its composition comprises C: at most 0.03%, Si: at most 1.0%, Mn: at most 2%, Cr: 16.0%-18.0%, Ni: 6.0%-8.0%, N: at most 0.25%, if necessary Nb: at most 0.30%, and a remainder of Fe and unavoidable impurities. After cold rolling, final annealing is carried out, and after a structure is formed of recrystallized grains with an average grain diameter of at most 5 ?m having an area ratio of 50-100% and an unrecrystallized portion having an area ratio of 0-50%, a metal gasket is formed by steps including temper rolling with a reduction of at least 30% to make the area ratio of a strain induced martensite phase at least 40%, and forming and heat treatment at 200-350° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignees: Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd., Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Adachi, Seishi Ishiyama, Kenichi Goshokubo, Takashi Katsurai
  • Patent number: 6893608
    Abstract: Maraging steel with improved machinability, good weldability, and high corrosion resistance, a process for the heat treatment of such a steel, as well as its use. According to the invention this steel contains (in % by weight) 0.02-0.075% carbon; 0.1-0.6% silicon; 0.5-0.9% manganese; 0.08-0.25% sulfur; maximum 0.04%; phosphorus; 12.4-15.2% chromium; 0.05-1.0% molybdenum; 0.2-1.8% nickel; maximum 0.15% vanadium; 0.1-0.45% copper; maximum 0.03% aluminum; 0.02-0.08% nitrogen; as well as optionally one or more additional alloying elements up to maximum 2.0%, residual iron, and impurities caused in manufacturing, and a ferrite percentage in the structure of less than 28% by volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2005
    Assignee: Boehler Edelstahl GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Sammt, Johann Sammer, Gerhard Lichtenegger
  • Patent number: 6811622
    Abstract: The invention relates to semifinished and finished products made from special corrosion-resistant precipitation-hardened austenitic steel containing a large amount of intersticially dissolved nitrogen, comprising substantially smooth surfaces. The invention also relates to a method for producing corresponding semifinished and finished items. The aim of the invention is to produce semifinished and finished item and to provide an economical method for the production thereof, combining both solidity and resistance to corrosion. This is achieved by precipitation-hardening areas of the steel material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Inventors: Heinrich Friederich, Reinhard Schmoock
  • Patent number: 6793744
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a martensitic stainless steel that can be used in manufacturing articles such as a shaft or an impeller which require high mechanical strength and corrosion resistance and provides a martensitic stainless steel comprising less than 0.06 wt. % C, less than 2.5 wt. % Si, less than 2.5 wt. % Mn, 1.0-6.0 wt. % Ni, 10.0-19.0 wt. % Cr, 0.5-6.0 wt. % W, less than 3.5 wt. % Mo, less than 0.5 wt. % Nb, less than 0.5 wt. % V, less than 3.0 wt. % Cu, 0.05-0.25 wt. % N, and the remainder being Fe and minor impurities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology
    Inventor: Jae-Young Jung
  • Publication number: 20040121169
    Abstract: This invention relates to a stainless steel gasket having markedly improved strength and fatigue properties due to precipitation strengthening. Its composition comprises C: at most 0.03%, Si: at most 1.0%, Mn: at most 2%, Cr: 16.0%-18.0%, Ni: 6.0%-8.0%, N: at most 0.25%, if necessary Nb: at most 0.30%, and a remainder of Fe and unavoidable impurities. After cold rolling, final annealing is carried out, and after a structure is formed of recrystallized grains with an average grain diameter of at most 5 &mgr;m having an area ratio of 50-100% and an unrecrystallized portion having an area ratio of 0-50%, a metal gasket is formed by steps including temper rolling with a reduction of at least 30% to make the area ratio of a strain induced martensite phase at least 40%, and forming and heat treatment at 200-350° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Adachi, Seishi Ishiyama, Kenichi Goshokubo, Takashi Katsurai
  • Publication number: 20040092334
    Abstract: A golf club head comprises a part made of a martensitic iron alloy which has: a nickel (Ni) content of from 9.0 to 12.0 weight %; a chromium (Cr) content of from 11.0 to 12.5 weight %; a titanium (Ti) content of from 1.5 to 1.8 weight %; a molybdenum (Mo) content of from 0.75 to 1.2 weight %; a carbon (C) content of not more than 0.05 weight %; a phosphorus (P) content of not more than 0.015 weight %; a silicon (Si) content of not more than 0.25 weight %; a magnesium (Mg) content of not more than 0.25 weight %; and a sulfur (S) content of not more than 0.01 weight %.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Inventor: Akio Yamamoto