Copper-based substances with nanomaterials

Abstract

A composition-of-matter is described herein comprising copper or an alloy thereof, and at least one nanocompound dispersed in the copper or an alloy thereof, wherein the copper or an alloy thereof is a cast metal. Further described herein are articles of manufacture comprising the composition-of-matter, and a process for preparing such a composition-of-matter, by dispersing at least one nanocompound in a melt of copper or and alloy thereof, and cooling the melt.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition-of-matter comprising copper or an alloy thereof, and at least one nanocompound dispersed in said copper or an alloy thereof, wherein said copper or an alloy thereof is a cast metal. 
     
     
         2 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , comprising a chill zone, a columnar zone and an equiaxed zone. 
     
     
         3 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , wherein said cast metal is a sand-cast metal or a permanent mold-cast metal. 
     
     
         4 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , wherein said nanocompound comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of an oxide, a nitride, a carbon nitride, a carbide and/or a carbon-based nanocompound. 
     
     
         5 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 4 , wherein said nanocompound comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of boron nitride, titanium nitride, titanium carbon nitride, titanium carbide, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, aluminum diboride, and titanium diboride. 
     
     
         6 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 4 , wherein said carbon-based nanocompound comprises carbon in a form selected from the group consisting of diamond, graphite, graphene, and a carbon nanotube. 
     
     
         7 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , wherein said nanocompound comprises a carbon nanotube and/or an inorganic nanotube, said nanotube being a single-walled or multi-walled nanotube. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein said inorganic nanotube comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of tungsten disulfide, molybdenum disulfide, niobium disulfide, tantalum disulfide, hafnium disulfide, titanium disulfide, cadmium sulfide, zinc sulfide, gallium nitride and boron nitride. 
     
     
         9 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 7 , wherein said nanotube is a multi-walled nanotube. 
     
     
         10 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , wherein a concentration of said nanocompound in said composition-of-matter is in a range of from 0.001 to 1 weight percent. 
     
     
         11 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 10 , wherein a concentration of said nanocompound in said composition-of-matter is in a range of from 0.001 to 0.015 weight percent. 
     
     
         12 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , wherein said nanocompound is characterized by an average diameter in a range of from 3 to 150 nm. 
     
     
         13 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , having a tensile strength which is at least 10% higher than a tensile strength of a corresponding composition-of-matter without said nanocompound. 
     
     
         14 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , having a yield strength which is at least 5% higher than a yield strength of a corresponding composition-of-matter without said nanocompound. 
     
     
         15 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , having a hardness which is at least 10% higher than a hardness of a corresponding composition-of-matter without said nanocompound, under a load of 10 kg for 10 seconds. 
     
     
         16 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , having a thermal conductivity which is at least 10% higher than a thermal conductivity a corresponding composition-of-matter without said nanocompound, at a temperature of 25° C. and/or 400° C. 
     
     
         17 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 1 , having an elongation which is at least 90% of an elongation of a corresponding composition-of-matter without said nanocompound. 
     
     
         18 . The composition-of-matter of  claim 17 , having an elongation which is at least 10% higher than a corresponding composition-of-matter without said nanocompound. 
     
     
         19 . A process for preparing a composition-of-matter comprising copper or an alloy thereof, the process comprising dispersing at least one nanocompound in a melt of copper or and alloy thereof, and cooling the melt. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 19 , further comprising effecting mechanochemical mixing of said nanocompound and copper in a solid form prior to said dispersing nanocompound in said melt. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein said copper in a solid form comprises a copper powder. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein a weight ratio of said nanocompound and said copper in a solid form is in a range of from 1:1 to 1:300 (nanocompound: copper). 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 20 , wherein said mechanochemical mixing is effected by a ball mill. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein said nanocompound comprises an oxide, a nitride, a carbon nitride, a carbide and/or a carbon-based nanocompound. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein said nanocompound comprises a carbon nanotube and/or an inorganic nanotube, said nanotube being a single-walled or multi-walled nanotube. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein said nanocompound is dispersed in said melt at a concentration in a range of from 0.001 to 1 weight percent. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein said nanocompound is dispersed in said melt at a concentration in a range of from 0.001 to 0.015 weight percent. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 19 , wherein said nanocompound is characterized by an average diameter in a range of from 3 to 150 nm. 
     
     
         29 . A composition-of-matter prepared according to the process of  claim 19 . 
     
     
         30 . An article of manufacture comprising the composition-of-matter of  claim 1 .