Alkaline Earth Metal Stabilized Bulk Nanocrystalline Engineering Alloys

Abstract

A nano-structured alloy material includes a nanoparticle; a matrix phase surrounding the nanoparticle; and an alkali/alkali Earth metal (i) which is incorporated into the nanoparticle, (ii) which may also be incorporated into the matrix and therefore alter a material property of the matrix phase 120, and (iii) an interaction of the nanoparticle with the matrix phase.

1 . A nano-structured alloy material comprising:
 a matrix phase associated with a base metal; and   a dispersion of nanoparticles within the matrix phase, each nanoparticle comprising a core including an alkali/alkali Earth metal or a hydride thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein the base metal comprises at least one of silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), gold (Au), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), hafnium (Hf), magnesium (Mg), molybdenum (Mo), niobium (Nb), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), depleted uranium (U), vanadium (V), tungsten (W), yttrium (Y), and zirconium (Zr). The remainder of such materials may include various combinations of other periodic elements. 
     
     
         3 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein the alkali/alkali Earth metal or the hydride thereof has a concentration of less than ten percent of the total composition. 
     
     
         4 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein the core of each nanoparticle comprises the alkali/alkali Earth metal, barium (Ba), strontium (Sr), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), or hydrides thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein the core of each nanoparticle comprises strontium (Sr) or a Sr-hydride. 
     
     
         6 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein the matrix phase comprises at least fifty percent of the base metal. 
     
     
         7 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein the matrix phase comprises a Group I and Group II element or hydride thereof, barium (Ba), Sr, calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg). 
     
     
         8 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein the matrix phase comprises strontium (Sr) or a Sr-hydride. 
     
     
         9 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein the matrix phase comprises a binary, ternary, or multicomponent composition in the form of a solid solution. 
     
     
         10 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein the matrix phase comprises a grain size of an average diameter greater than one nm and less than ten microns. 
     
     
         11 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles have average diameters of less than ten nm. 
     
     
         12 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 1 , wherein within grains of the matrix phase, an altered material property of the nanoparticle by the alkali/alkali Earth metal generates an alloy material comprising nano-structured clusters. 
     
     
         13 . The nano-structured alloy material of  claim 12 , wherein the nano-structured clusters and alloy material have a particle number density greater than 10 15 /m 3 .