Metal article with high interstitial content

Abstract

A thin metal workpiece is subjected to a low temperature diffusion-based surface treatment to produce a thin metal product in which at least one property of the thin metal product, as a whole, is enhanced by at least 10% as compared with an otherwise identical product not subjected to such surface treatment.

1 . The process comprising subjecting a thin metal workpiece to a low temperature interstitial diffusion-based surface treatment to produce a thin metal product in which at least one property of the thin metal product, as a whole, is enhanced by at least 10% as compared with an otherwise identical product not subjected to such surface treatment.  
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the property being enhanced is one or more of a mechanical property, an electrical property and a magnetic property.  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 2 , wherein the property being enhanced is at least one of hardness, yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elastic limit, electrical resistance and magnetic susceptibility.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the thin metal workpiece is about 0.01 to 0.25 mm thick.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 4 , wherein the metal workpiece is a wire, powder, platelet, other particulate or foil.  
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the low temperature diffusion-based surface treatment is low temperature carburization.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 6 , wherein the metal is an iron-, nickel-, cobalt-based or manganese-based alloy.  
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is stainless steel.  
   
   
       9 . A thin metal product produced by subjecting a thin metal workpiece to a low temperature diffusion-based surface treatment, the thin metal product as a whole exhibiting at least one property which is enhanced by at least 10% as compared with an otherwise identical product not subjected to such surface treatment.  
   
   
       10 . The thin metal product of  claim 9 , wherein the thin metal product is produced by subjecting a thin metal workpiece made from an iron-, nickel- or cobalt-based or manganese-based alloy to low temperature carburization.  
   
   
       11 . The thin metal product of  claim 10 , wherein the thin metal product has a yield strength at least 100% greater than an otherwise identical product not subjected to low temperature carburization, the thin metal product exhibiting a ductility in terms of elongation at fracture of at least 20%.  
   
   
       12 . A shaped article produced by forming a mass of the thin metal product of  claim 11  into a desired shape and sintering.  
   
   
       13 . The shaped article of  claim 12 , wherein the thin metal product is produced by subjecting a thin metal workpiece made from an iron-, nickel- or cobalt-based or manganese-based alloy to low temperature carburization.