Patent ID: 9333558
Filing Date: 2016-05-10
CPC Classification: B02C,B22F,C22C,F42B

Claim Text:
1. A process for forming a binary or higher order thermodynamically stable nanostructured copper-tantalum metallic system comprised of a solvent of copper (Cu) metal comprising 70 to 99.9 atomic percent (at. %) of the metallic system, and a solute of tantalum (Ta) metal dispersed in the solvent metal, comprising 0.1 to 30 at. % of the metallic system, the process comprising: subjecting powder metals of the solvent metal and the solute metal 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 to produce the metallic system having an average grain size of no more than approximately 10 nm, wherein the metallic system is thermally stabilized, with the absence of substantial gross grain growth, such that the internal grain size of the solvent metal is substantially suppressed to no more than about 250 nm at approximately 98% of the melting point temperature of the solvent metal and the solute metal remains substantially uniformly dispersed in the solvent metal at that temperature.