The invention discloses a nickel based brazing filler metal in form of an alloy containing or consisting of between 20 wt % and 35 wt % chromium, between 7 wt % and 15 wt % iron and between 2.5 wt % and 9 wt % silicon, between 0 wt % and 15 wt % molybdenum, unavoidable impurities and the balance being nickel. The solidus temperature of the brazing filler shall be between 1140 C. and 1240 C. The brazing filler metal is suitable for production of catalytic converters and heat exchangers.

The invention also discloses a brazing method.

Disclosed herein is a nickel-titanium alloy comprising nickel, titanium, and at least one rare earth element. The nickel-titanium alloy comprises from about 34 at. % to about 60 at. % nickel, from about 34 at. % to about 60 at. % titanium, and from about 0.1 at. % to about 15 at. % at least one rare earth element. The nickel-titanium alloy may further include one or more additional alloying elements. In addition to radiopacity, the nickel-titanium alloy preferably exhibits superelastic or shape memory behavior. Medical devices comprising the nickel-titanium alloy and a method of making them are also disclosed.

Provided is a hydrogen storage alloy which is characterized in that two or more crystal phases having different crystal structures are layered in a c-axis direction of the crystal structures. The hydrogen storage alloy is further characterized in that a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of a lattice constant a in the crystal structures of the laminated two or more crystal phases is 0.03 or less.

The present disclosure is directed to NiPB alloys and glasses containing small fractions of Nb and Ta and optionally Mn. Over a specific range, the alloys are capable of forming bulk metallic glasses having critical casting thickness in excess of 1 mm. In one embodiment, compositions with a Mn content of between 3 and 4 atomic percent, Nb content of about 3 atomic percent, B content of about 3 atomic percent, and P content of about 16.5 atomic percent, where the balance in Ni, were capable of forming bulk metallic glass rods with diameters as large as 5 mm or larger. In another embodiment, Ni-based compositions with a Mn content of between 5 and 7 atomic percent, Ta content of between 1 and 2 atomic percent, B content of about 3 atomic percent, and P content of about 16.5 atomic percent, where the balance in Ni, were capable of forming bulk metallic glass rods with diameters as large as 5 mm or larger.

A method for manufacturing a nickel-titanium alloy includes steps of: placing a titanium material on a first bracket, and placing a nickel material on a second bracket; vacuumizing the vacuum confined space of the melting chamber to below a pressure of 10.sup.5 Torr, and lifting up the titanium material placed on the first bracket to a working area of an induction coil; introducing inert gases; starting the induction coil, to make the titanium material in a levitation state and electromagnetically stirred and heated; dropping the first bracket; measuring whether the temperature of the working area of the induction coil reaches a predetermined temperature range; when the first active metal is in the half molten state, dropping the nickel material placed on the second bracket to be added to the titanium material, and obtaining a homogenizing nickel-titanium alloy by means of electromagnetic stirring and heating; and recycling the homogenizing nickel-titanium alloy.

A nickel alloy includes (in wt. %) Ni 50-55%, Cr 17-21%, Mo>0-9%, W 0-9%, Nb 1-5.7%, Ta>0-4.7%, Ti 0.1-3.0%, Al 0.4-4.0%, Co max. 3.0%, Mn max. 0.35%, Si max. 0.35%, Cu max. 0.23%, C 0.001-0.045%, S max. 0.01%, P 0.001-0.02%, B 0.001-0.01%, the remainder Fe and the conventional process-related impurities, wherein the following relations are provided: Nb+Ta 1-5.7% (1), Al+Ti>1.2-5% (2), Mo+W 3-9% (3), where Nb, Ta, Al and Ti are the concentration of the elements in question in wt. %.

Processes for producing low nitrogen, essentially nitride-free chromium or chromium plus niobium-containing nickel-based alloys include charging elements or compounds which do not dissolve appreciable amounts of nitrogen in the molten state to a refractory crucible within a vacuum induction furnace, melting said elements or compounds therein under reduced pressure, and effecting heterogeneous carbon-based bubble nucleation in a controlled manner. The processes also include, upon cessation of bubble formation, adding low nitrogen chromium or a low nitrogen chromium-containing master alloy with a nitrogen content of below 10 ppm to the melt, melting and distributing said added chromium or chromium-containing master alloy throughout the melt, bringing the resulting combined melt to a temperature and surrounding pressure to permit tapping, and tapping the resulting melt, directly or indirectly, to a metallic mold and allowing the melt to solidify and cool under reduced pressure.

Ni-based Cr- and P-bearing alloys that can from centimeter-thick amorphous articles are provided. Within the family of alloys, millimeter-thick bulk-glassy articles can undergo macroscopic plastic bending under load without fracturing catastrophically.

A metallic glass formed of an alloy including: (a-c-x) atomic % of Ni, with a between 54 and 72; (b-y) atomic % of Nb, with b between 35 and 44; c atomic % of Cu, with c from 0.05 to 9; x atomic % of at least one element chosen from: Co, Fe, Ag, Mn, Pd, Au, Ir, Os, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru and Te, with x from 0 to 20; y atomic % of at least one element chosen from: Hf, Ta, Ti, Cr, Mo, Sc, V, W and Y, with y from 0 to 20; z atomic % of at least one element chosen from: B, Si, Al, Sn, Ca, Ga, In, Mg and Zn, with z from 0 to 10; at most 3 atomic % of Zr; and other elements at most 0.1% by weight each and at most 0.5% by weight in total.

Processes for producing low nitrogen, essentially nitride-free chromium or chromium plus niobium-containing nickel-based alloys include charging elements or compounds which do not dissolve appreciable amounts of nitrogen in the molten state to a refractory crucible within a vacuum induction furnace, melting said elements or compounds therein under reduced pressure, and effecting heterogeneous carbon-based bubble nucleation in a controlled manner. The processes also include, upon cessation of bubble formation, adding low nitrogen chromium or a low nitrogen chromium-containing master alloy with a nitrogen content of below 10 ppm to the melt, melting and distributing said added chromium or chromium-containing master alloy throughout the melt, bringing the resulting combined melt to a temperature and surrounding pressure to permit tapping, and tapping the resulting melt, directly or indirectly, to a metallic mold and allowing the melt to solidify and cool under reduced pressure.