Oxidation and corrosion resistant nanostructured copper-based metallic systems

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to oxidation- and/or corrosion-resistant nanostructured metallic system and techniques for producing such systems. The metallic system may include (i) a solvent of copper (Cu) metal that comprises 50 to 99.98 atomic percent (at. %) of the metallic system, (ii) a first solute of tantalum (Ta) metal dispersed in the solvent metal, the first solute comprising 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system, (iii) a second solute of an oxidation and/or corrosion resistance-inducing metal dispersed in the solvent metal, the second solute comprising 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system, and optionally (iv) a third solute of an additional metal dispersed in the solvent metal, the third solute comprising 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system, the additional metal being an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, or a transition metal that is different from the solvent, first solute, and second solute.

1 . An oxidation- and/or corrosion-resistant nanostructured metallic system comprising:
 a solvent of copper (Cu) metal that comprises 50 to 99.98 atomic percent (at. %) of the metallic system;   a first solute of tantalum (Ta) metal dispersed in the solvent metal, the first solute comprising 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system;   a second solute of an oxidation and/or corrosion resistance-inducing metal dispersed in the solvent metal comprising chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), halfnium (Hf), silver (Ag), or any combination thereof, the second solute comprising 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system;   optionally, a third solute of an additional metal dispersed in the solvent metal, the third solute comprising 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system, the additional metal being an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, or a transition metal that is different from the solvent, first solute, and second solute; and   wherein the metallic system has an initial average grain size of no more than approximately 100 nm;   wherein the metallic system is thermally stable, with an absence of substantial gross grain growth, such that an internal grain size of the solvent metal is substantially suppressed to no more than about 10 microns at approximately 98% of a melting point temperature of the solvent metal and the solute metal remains substantially uniformly dispersed in the solvent metal at that temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the third solute is present in the metallic system and wherein the third solute metal is a group 4 element, a group 5 element, a group 6 element, Iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), Manganese (Mn), lithium (Li) or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxidation and/or corrosion resistance-inducing metal consists of chromium (Cr). 
     
     
         5 . The metallic system according to  claim 4 , wherein the second solute comprises 1 at. %-20 at. % of the metallic system. 
     
     
         6 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the metallic system is free of the third solute. 
     
     
         7 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the metallic system is configured to form a coherent and non-permeable oxide layer comprising the second solute that prevents further oxidation of the metallic system when exposed to temperatures of at least 200° C. 
     
     
         8 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the metallic system is configured to form a coherent and non-permeable oxide layer comprising the second solute that prevents further oxidation of the metallic system when exposed to temperatures of at least 500° C. 
     
     
         9 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein, when exposed to an atmosphere containing a corrosive material, the metallic system is configured to form a coherent and non-permeable layer comprising the second solute that prevents further corrosion of the metallic system by the corrosive material. 
     
     
         10 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the metallic system is in bulk form and comprises: a pellet, bullet, ingot, bar, plate, disk, or sheet. 
     
     
         11 . A high temperature machine part formed of a metallic system according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . The high temperature machine part according to  claim 11 , wherein the machine part is a component of an engine or a turbine blade. 
     
     
         13 . A process for forming an oxidation- and/or corrosion-resistant nanostructured copper-based metallic system, the metallic system comprising a solvent of copper (Cu) metal that comprises 50 to 99.98 atomic percent (at. %) of the metallic system, a first solute of tantalum (Ta) metal dispersed in the solvent metal, the first solute comprising 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system, a second solute of an oxidation and/or corrosion resistance-inducing metal dispersed in the solvent metal comprising chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), halfnium (Hf), silver (Ag), or any combination thereof, the second solute comprising 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system, optionally a third solute of an additional metal dispersed in the solvent metal, the third solute comprising 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system, the additional metal being an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, or a transition metal that is different from the solvent, first solute, and second solute, the process comprising:
 generating milled metals by subjecting powder metals of the solvent metal and the solute metals to a milling process using a milling device configured to shake the powder metals with ball media in a generally back and forth direction at least 1060 times per minute to impart impacts to its contents; and   consolidating the milled metals to form a bulk material;   wherein the bulk material remains thermally stable, with an absence of substantial gross grain growth, such that an internal grain size of the solvent metal is substantially suppressed to no more than about 10 microns at approximately 98% of a melting point temperature of the solvent metal and the solute metals remain substantially uniformly dispersed in the solvent metal at that temperature.   
     
     
         14 . The process according to  claim 13 , wherein the third solute is present in the metallic system and wherein the third solute is a group 4 element, a group 5 element, a group 6 element, Iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), Manganese (Mn), lithium (Li) or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The process according to  claim 13 , wherein the second solute consists of chromium (Cr). 
     
     
         17 . The process according to  claim 13 , wherein the metallic system is free of the third solute. 
     
     
         18 . The process according to  claim 13 , wherein the second solute comprises 1 at. %-25 at. % of the metallic system. 
     
     
         19 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second solute metal is selected so that the density of the coherent and non-permeable oxide layer formed is 2 g/cm 3  or greater. 
     
     
         20 . The metallic system according to  claim 19 , wherein the second solute metal is selected so that the density of the coherent and non-permeable oxide layer formed is 5 g/cm 3  or greater. 
     
     
         21 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the metallic system satisfies the formula, Cu a X b Y c , the first solute metal is X, the second solute metal is Y, a is 50 to 99.98 atomic percent (at. %) of the metallic system, and b is 0.01-10 at. %, and c is 0.01-40 at. %. 
     
     
         22 . The metallic system according to  claim 21 , wherein the metallic system comprises 89Cu-5Ta-6Cr at. %, 88Cu-1.5Ta-10.5Cr at. %, or 90Cu-3Ta-7Hf at. %. 
     
     
         23 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the metallic system satisfies the formula, Cu a X b Y c Z d , where the first solute metal is X, the second solute metal is Y, the third solute metal is Z, a is 50 to 99.98 atomic percent (at. %) of the metallic system, and b, c, and d are 0.1 at. %, to 50 at. % of the metallic system. 
     
     
         24 . The metallic system according to  claim 23 , wherein the metallic system comprises 86Cu-3Ta-5Fe-6Cr at. %, 87Cu-1.5Ta-10Cr-1.5Li at. % or Cu-3Ta-10Cr-1Li at. %. 
     
     
         25 . The metallic system according to  claim 1 , wherein the metallic system comprises Cu—Ta—Li-3Cr at. %, Cu—Ta—Li-5Cr at. %, Cu—Ta—Li-10Cr at. % or Cu—Ta—Li-20Cr. at. %.