Patent ID: 7897204
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: C21D,C22C

Abstract:
1. A method of strengthening a metallic tool material by penetration of reinforcing particles into said tool material comprising: providing at least one blank of the tool material suitable for penetration of the reinforcing particles; preparing a working medium in the form of a uniform mixture of the reinforcing particles comprising at least particles having hardness greater than the hardness of the tool material and particles of a ductile metallic powder, the size of the reinforcing particles and particles of the ductile metallic powder being in the range of 1 to 100 μm; forming the working medium into a pulsating jet having a velocity in the range of 200 to 6000 m/sec and a temperature in the range 100 to 2000° C.; impinging the at least one blank of the tool material with the pulsating jet of the working medium and passing the working medium through the tool material, the working medium in the pulsating jet having a theoretical density, and the pulsating jet having a transverse dimension; and strengthening the tool material by forming elongated alloying zones composed of the particles of the working medium oriented in the direction of the jet and restructured zones formed by restructuring the tool material under the effect of the pulsating jet.