Patent Publication Number: US-2017362685-A1

Title: Titanium Composite Material and Method for Making It

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a composite material and, more particularly, to a titanium composite material and a method for making it. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A titanium alloy has a great strength and a lighter weight. However, the wearproof and heat conduction features of the conventional titanium alloy are poor. A ceramic material is added into the titanium alloy to increase the heat conduction, wearproof and surface hardness of the titanium alloy. The ceramic material includes carbide, nitride, oxide or boride. A powder material is added into the titanium alloy to increase the electric features of the titanium alloy, including a piezoelectric effect or pyroelectric effect. The powder material includes titanate, niobium compound, barium compound, strontium compound, tantalum compound, yttrium compound, or ferroelectric. A magnetic material is added into the titanium alloy to increase the magnetic effect of the titanium alloy. The magnetic material includes neodymium-iron-boron compound or samarium-cobalt compound. 
     The closest prior art reference of which the applicant is aware was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,830, entitled “P/M titanium composite casting”. However, the wearproof and heat conduction effects of the conventional titanium alloy are poor so that the conventional titanium alloy is not available for car parts that need high wearproof and heat conduction features. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a titanium composite material with high wearproof and high heat conduction features. 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a titanium composite material comprising a titanium matrix material and a powder reinforced composite material added into and combined with the titanium matrix material by casting, agglomerating or pressing. The titanium matrix material is selected from a pure titanium or titanium alloy. The pure titanium of the titanium matrix material is disposed at an α phase, a β phase, an α+β phase, or an omega phase. The titanium alloy of the titanium matrix material is disposed at an α phase, a β phase, an α+β phase, an omega phase, or an intermetallic α-1, α-2, α-3 phase. The powder reinforced composite material has a diameter less than 0.8 mm, and has a volume ratio of 10%-70%. The powder reinforced composite material is selected from a ceramic powder material, a powder material or a magnetic powder material. The ceramic powder material of the powder reinforced composite material contains more than 10% of a component that is selected from at least one of a group including oxide or nitride. The powder material of the powder reinforced composite material contains more than 10% of a component that is selected from at least one of a group including titanate, niobium compound, barium compound, strontium compound, tantalum compound, yttrium compound, or ferroelectric. The magnetic powder material of the powder reinforced composite material contains more than 10% of a component that is selected from at least one of a group including neodymium-iron-boron compound or samarium-cobalt compound. 
     According to the primary advantage of the present invention, the powder reinforced composite material is added into the titanium matrix material to form the titanium composite material by casting, agglomerating or pressing, so that the titanium matrix material contains the physical, chemical or electric features of the titanium matrix material and the powder reinforced composite material. 
     Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is a locally enlarged cross-sectional view of a titanium composite material in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart of a method for making a titanium composite material in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a method for making a titanium composite material in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow chart of a method for making a titanium composite material in accordance with the third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the titanium composite material available for clutch plates of a car clutch. 
         FIG. 6  is an application view showing the titanium composite material available for clutch plates of another car clutch. 
         FIG. 7  is an application view showing the titanium composite material available for a piston and a cylinder jacket of a car cylinder. 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the titanium composite material available for a brake pad of a car brake disk. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing the titanium composite material available for a cam shaft. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing the titanium composite material available for a piezoelectric crystal. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing the titanium composite material available for ceramic piezoelectric crystals which are arranged in pairs. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view showing the titanium composite material available for a pyroelectric element. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view showing the titanium composite material available for a semiconductor target material. 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view showing the titanium composite material available for a magnet. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIG. 1 , a titanium composite material  100  in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a titanium matrix material  10  and a powder reinforced composite material  20  added into and combined with the titanium matrix material  10  by casting, agglomerating or pressing. The titanium matrix material  10  is selected from a pure titanium or titanium alloy. The pure titanium of the titanium matrix material  10  is disposed at an α phase, a β phase, an α+β phase, or an omega phase. The titanium alloy of the titanium matrix material  10  is disposed at an α phase, a β phase, an α+β phase, an omega phase, or an intermetallic α-1, α-2, α-3 phase. The powder reinforced composite material  20  has a diameter less than 0.8 mm, and has a volume ratio of 10%-70%. The powder reinforced composite material  20  is selected from a ceramic powder material, a powder material with electric features or a magnetic powder material. The ceramic powder material of the powder reinforced composite material  20  contains more than 10% of a component that is selected from at least one of a group including carbide, nitride, oxide or boride. The powder material of the powder reinforced composite material  20  contains more than 10% of a component that is selected from at least one of a group including titanate, niobium compound, barium compound, strontium compound, tantalum compound, yttrium compound, or ferroelectric. The magnetic powder material of the powder reinforced composite material  20  contains more than 10% of a component that is selected from at least one of a group including neodymium-iron-boron compound or samarium-cobalt compound. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a first method for making a titanium composite material in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first step  200  of heating and melting a titanium matrix material  10  and a powder reinforced composite material  20  to form a casting liquid, a second step  210  of stirring the casting liquid, a third step  220  of pressuring the casting liquid, a fourth step  230  of filling the casting liquid into a die, and a fifth step  240  of cooling the die and stripping the die to form a product of a titanium composite material  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a second method for making a titanium composite material in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first step  250  of mixing a titanium matrix material  10  and a powder reinforced composite material  20  to form a mixture, a second step  260  of compressing the mixture at a normal temperature or under a heating condition to form a blank, and a third step  270  of agglomerating and molding the blank to form a product of a titanium composite material  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , a third method for making a titanium composite material in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first step  280  of mixing a titanium matrix material  10  and a powder reinforced composite material  20  to form a mixture, and a second step  281  of packing, filling or extruding the mixture into a specified die or tool and pressing and compacting the mixture to form a product of a titanium composite material  100 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the titanium composite material  100  of the present invention is available for clutch plates  310  of car clutches  300   a  and  300   b.    
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the titanium composite material  100  of the present invention is available for a piston  410  and a cylinder jacket  420  of a car cylinder  400 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , the titanium composite material  100  of the present invention is available for a brake pad  510  of a car brake disk  500 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , the titanium composite material  100  of the present invention is available for a cam shaft  600  of a car. 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , the titanium composite material  100  of the present invention is available for a piezoelectric crystal  700  which is integrally formed by the titanium composite material  100 . The piezoelectric crystal  700  is mounted in a pressure detector  710 . The pressure detector  710  includes a housing  710   a  having a cavity  710   b , a support member  710   c  mounted in the cavity  710   b  of the housing  710   a  for supporting the piezoelectric crystal  700 , a spring  710   e  mounted in the cavity  710   b  of the housing  710   a  and biased between the support member  710   c  and the housing  710   a , and a probe  710   d  mounted on the support member  710   c  and having a first end connected with the piezoelectric crystal  700  and a second end protruding outward from the housing  710   a . In practice, the second end of the probe  710   d  delivers a detected pressure to the piezoelectric crystal  700  which produces a corresponding current to detect the pressure value. Thus, the piezoelectric crystal  700  is integrally formed by the titanium composite material  100  so that the piezoelectric crystal  700  is pressure resistant and has a great durability. 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , the titanium composite material  100  of the present invention is available for ceramic piezoelectric crystals  720  and  730  which are arranged in pairs. When the ceramic piezoelectric crystals  720  and  730  are vibrated due to a pressure, the ceramic piezoelectric crystals  720  and  730  respectively represent positive and negative electrodes of a piezoelectric potential. The ceramic piezoelectric crystals  720  and  730  are mounted in an elastic metallic element  740 . In practice, when the elastic metallic element  740  is vibrated and deformed due to a pressure, the direction, the location and the pressure of the elastic metallic element  740  are determined by the alternating current variations and the electronic conduction directions (as indicated by arrows shown in  FIG. 11 ) between the ceramic piezoelectric crystals  720  and  730  and by the polarities of the ceramic piezoelectric crystals  720  and  730 . Thus, the titanium composite material  100  is used in a shell or an aluminum coating of a car or a flight vehicle, and is available for a metallic fatigue detection when the titanium composite material  100  is deformed due to a pressure. In addition, the ceramic piezoelectric crystals  720  and  730  are integrally formed by the titanium composite material  100  so that the ceramic piezoelectric crystals  720  and  730  are pressure resistant and have a great durability. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , the titanium composite material  100  of the present invention is available for a pyroelectric element  800 . A pyroelectric material is added into the titanium composite material  100  to integrally form the pyroelectric element  800  which has a better electrothermal conversion function and has a required heatproof feature. The pyroelectric material produces different electromotive forces corresponding different temperature values. The pyroelectric element  800  is packed by a housing  810  and a plurality of connecting legs  820 ,  830  and  840  to form a temperature detector or a temperature detection element of a thermocouple. 
     Referring to  FIG. 13 , the titanium composite material  100  of the present invention is available for a semiconductor target material  900  that is used to make a semiconductor product which is evaporated or coated. The semiconductor target material  900  is added into the titanium composite material  100  to integrally make the semiconductor product. Thus, the semiconductor target material  900  has special features of the titanium composite material  100 , including heat conduction, wearproof, chemical-corrosion resistant and the like, and the special features of the semiconductor target material  900  are transferred to the semiconductor product which is evaporated or coated, so that the semiconductor product will contain the special features, including heat conduction, wearproof, chemical-corrosion resistant and the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 14 , the titanium composite material  100  of the present invention is available for a magnet  950 . The powder reinforced composite material  20  of the titanium composite material  100  is formed by the magnetic powder material, including neodymium-iron-boron compound or samarium-cobalt compound. Thus, the magnet  950  has a great structural strength by provision of the magnetic powder material of the powder reinforced composite material  20  of the titanium composite material  100 . In such a manner, the size of the magnet  950  can be shortened so that the magnet  950  is available for a precision industry. 
     In conclusion, in the titanium composite material  100  of the present invention, the powder reinforced composite material  20  is added into the titanium matrix material  10 . The titanium matrix material  10  is disposed at an α phase, a β phase, an α+β phase, an omega phase, or an intermetallic α-1, α-2, α-3 phase. The powder reinforced composite material  20  may be selected from a ceramic powder material containing more than 10% of a component that is selected from at least one of a group including carbide, nitride, oxide or boride. After the titanium matrix material  10  produces an intermediate phase in the α phase, β phase or α+β phase, the powder reinforced composite material  20  maintains the original hardness of the titanium matrix material  10  to enhance the wearproof, heat conduction and maximum surface hardness, so that the titanium composite material  100  has high wearproof and high heat conduction features. In addition, the powder reinforced composite material  20  may be selected from a powder material with an electric feature, containing more than 10% of a component that is selected from at least one of a group including titanate, niobium compound, barium compound, strontium compound, tantalum compound, yttrium compound, or ferroelectric, so that the powder reinforced composite material  20  has electric features, including a piezoelectric effect or a pyroelectric effect. Thus, the titanium composite material  100  is available for a ceramic piezoelectric crystal, a pyroelectric element or a semiconductor target material. In addition, the powder reinforced composite material  20  may be selected from a magnetic powder material containing more than 10% of a component that is selected from at least one of a group including neodymium-iron-boron compound or samarium-cobalt compound, so that the powder reinforced composite material  20  produces a magnetic field. Thus, the titanium composite material  100  is available for a magnet product. 
     Accordingly, the powder reinforced composite material  20  is added into the titanium matrix material  10  to form the titanium composite material  100  by casting, agglomerating or pressing, so that the titanium matrix material  10  contains the physical, chemical or electric features of the titanium matrix material  10  and the powder reinforced composite material  20 . 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.