Method for producing powder metallurgy metal billets

Abstract

A method for manufacturing and producing metal alloy billet products from particulate starting materials, particularly adapted for use with aluminum and aluminum alloy wrought products and their manufacture involving the use of powdered starting materials. The method includes the basic steps of preparing elemental, master alloy or prealloyed metal powders with or without a foreign reinforcement phase, compacting the prepared powder into pellets, introducing and compacting the pellets into a die, consolidating the compacted powder into a billet.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method of producing a powder metallurgy metal billet, comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a mixture of a metal powder;   b. compacting only through mechanical means the mixture into pellets that have a greater density than the mixture and pellets having a size from approximately 3 mm to 15 mm in diameter;   c. loading the pellets into a hollow metal box and then closing said box; and   d. consolidating said box by vacuum-hot pressing to make it into a body of said metal billet, wherein a metal of said box is a part of said body of said metal billet.   
     
     
         15 . The method in accordance with  claim 14  wherein the metal powder includes elemental metal powders. 
     
     
         16 . The method in accordance with  claim 14  wherein said metal powder includes master alloy metal powders. 
     
     
         17 . A method of producing a powder metallurgy metal billet, comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a mixture of a metal powder and a micro-scale reinforcement;   b. compacting only through mechanical means compacting the mixture into pellets that have a greater density than the mixture and pellets having a size from approximately 3 mm to 15 mm in diameter;   c. loading the pellets into a hollow metal box and then closing said box; and   d. consolidating said box by vacuum-hot pressing to make it into a body of said metal billet, wherein a metal of said box is a part of said body of said metal billet.   
     
     
         18 . The method in accordance with  claim 17  wherein the metal powder includes elemental metal powders. 
     
     
         19 . The method in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said metal powder includes master alloy metal powders. 
     
     
         20 . The method in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said metal powder includes pre-alloyed metal powders. 
     
     
         21 . The method in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said micro-scale reinforcement includes micro-scale ceramic powders. 
     
     
         22 . The method in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said micro-scale reinforcement includes micro-scale short fibers. 
     
     
         23 . The method in accordance with  claim 17  wherein said micro-scale reinforcement includes micro-scale ceramic whiskers. 
     
     
         24 . A method of producing a powder metallurgy metal billet, comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a mixture of a metal powder and a nano-scale reinforcement;   b. compacting only through mechanical means the mixture into pellets that have a greater density than the mixture and pellets having a size from approximately 3 mm to 15 mm in diameter;   c. loading the pellets into a hollow metal box and then closing said box; and   d. consolidating said box by vacuum-hot pressing to make it into a body of said metal billet, wherein a metal of said box is a part of said body of said metal billet.   
     
     
         25 . The method in accordance with  claim 24  wherein the metal powder includes elemental metal powders. 
     
     
         26 . The method in accordance with  claim 24  wherein said metal powder includes master alloy metal powders. 
     
     
         27 . The method in accordance with  claim 24  wherein said nano-scale reinforcement includes nano-scale ceramic powders. 
     
     
         28 . The method in accordance with  claim 24  wherein said nano-scale reinforcement includes nano-scale ceramic whiskers. 
     
     
         29 . The method in accordance with  claim 24  wherein said nano-scale reinforcement includes nano-tubes. 
     
     
         30 - 32 . (canceled)