The present invention relates to a method of case hardening a Group IV metal or a Group IV metal alloy and to components hardened in the method. The method comprising the steps of: providing a workpiece of a Group IV metal or a Group IV metal alloy, the workpiece being in its final shape; nitriding the workpiece in a nitriding atmosphere comprising NHs as a nitriding species at a first temperature in the range of 450? C. to 750? C. for a nitriding duration of at least 16 hours to provide a hydrogen containing diffusion zone; removing hydrogen from the hydrogen containing diffusion zone at a second temperature of up to 750? C. and a partial pressure of H.sub.2 of up to 10.sup.?4 mbar over a hydrogen removal duration of at least 4 hours to provide a hydrogen depleted diffusion zone. The method and the component are useful for implants, in particular dental implants.

Methods of modeling metal alloys and forming those alloys are provided. The method involves comparing the strain accommodation and cleavage energies of a base alloy comprising a first metal and a chemical element different from the first metal. If a predetermined difference between those energies would be achieved, the base alloy will be sufficiently ductile. If that predetermined difference would not be achieved, the base alloy will not be sufficiently ductile, and the base alloy is modified (e.g., by adding a ductility component) until the predetermined difference in energies would be achieved, at which point, the alloy can be formed using conventional methods or further modified to achieve the desired degree of ductility.

Methods of modeling metal alloys and forming those alloys are provided. The method involves comparing the strain accommodation and cleavage energies of a base alloy comprising a first metal and a chemical element different from the first metal. If a predetermined difference between those energies would be achieved, the base alloy will be sufficiently ductile. If that predetermined difference would not be achieved, the base alloy will not be sufficiently ductile, and the base alloy is modified (e.g., by adding a ductility component) until the predetermined difference in energies would be achieved, at which point, the alloy can be formed using conventional methods or further modified to achieve the desired degree of ductility.

A titanium alloy including by mass %, a platinum group metal: 0.01 to 0.15% and a rare earth metal: 0.001 to 0.10%, with the balance being Ti and impurities. The titanium alloy preferably includes as a partial replacement for Ti, Co: 0.05 to 1.00% by mass, and the content of the platinum group metal is preferably in the range of 0.01 to 0.05% by mass. Furthermore, it is preferred that the platinum group metal be Pd and the rare earth metal be Y. Consequently, it is possible to provide a titanium alloy having corrosion resistance comparable to or better than that of the conventional art as well as good workability while offering an economic advantage with a lower content of platinum group metal or an advantage of less likelihood of corrosion growth originating at defects such as flaws that occurred in the surface.

A titanium alloy including by mass %, a platinum group metal: 0.01 to 0.15% and a rare earth metal: 0.001 to 0.10%, with the balance being Ti and impurities. The titanium alloy preferably includes as a partial replacement for Ti, Co: 0.05 to 1.00% by mass, and the content of the platinum group metal is preferably in the range of 0.01 to 0.05% by mass. Furthermore, it is preferred that the platinum group metal be Pd and the rare earth metal be Y. Consequently, it is possible to provide a titanium alloy having corrosion resistance comparable to or better than that of the conventional art as well as good workability while offering an economic advantage with a lower content of platinum group metal or an advantage of less likelihood of corrosion growth originating at defects such as flaws that occurred in the surface.

The present invention discloses a liquid metal thermal interface material having an anti-melt characteristic and a preparation method thereof. The liquid metal thermal interface material is characterized by comprising, in percentage by weight, 20-40 wt % of indium, 0-6 wt % of bismuth, 0-2 wt % of antimony, 0-3 wt % of zinc, 0-0.6 wt % silver, 0-0.3 wt % of nickel, 0-0.8 wt % of cerium, 0-0.6 wt % of europium and the balance of tin. The liquid metal thermal interface material has excellent thermal conductivity and chemical stability in an operating environment of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), and thus is very suitable for IGBT devices in large-scale industrial production and practical applications.

The present invention discloses a liquid metal thermal interface material having an anti-melt characteristic and a preparation method thereof. The liquid metal thermal interface material is characterized by comprising, in percentage by weight, 20-40 wt % of indium, 0-6 wt % of bismuth, 0-2 wt % of antimony, 0-3 wt % of zinc, 0-0.6 wt % silver, 0-0.3 wt % of nickel, 0-0.8 wt % of cerium, 0-0.6 wt % of europium and the balance of tin. The liquid metal thermal interface material has excellent thermal conductivity and chemical stability in an operating environment of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT), and thus is very suitable for IGBT devices in large-scale industrial production and practical applications.

A method for the production of a highly stressable component from an +-titanium aluminide alloy for reciprocating-piston engines and gas turbines, especially for aircraft engines, characterized in that the alloy used is a TiAl alloy with the following composition (in atom %): 40-48% Al; 2-8% Nb; 0.1-9% of at least one -phase-stabilizing element selected from Mo, V, Ta, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Fe, Si; 0-0.5% B; and a remainder of Ti and smelting-related impurities,
wherein the deformation is carried out in a single stage starting from a preform with a volume distribution varying over the longitudinal axis, wherein the component is deformed isothermally in the -phase region at a logarithmic deformation rate of 0.01-0.5 1/s.

A method for the production of a highly stressable component from an +-titanium aluminide alloy for reciprocating-piston engines and gas turbines, especially for aircraft engines, characterized in that the alloy used is a TiAl alloy with the following composition (in atom %): 40-48% Al; 2-8% Nb; 0.1-9% of at least one -phase-stabilizing element selected from Mo, V, Ta, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Fe, Si; 0-0.5% B; and a remainder of Ti and smelting-related impurities,
wherein the deformation is carried out in a single stage starting from a preform with a volume distribution varying over the longitudinal axis, wherein the component is deformed isothermally in the -phase region at a logarithmic deformation rate of 0.01-0.5 1/s.

A method for heat-treating a titanium alloy, such as Ti-6Al-4V. The method may occur after or include a step of forging the titanium alloy such that localized, highly deformed grains are formed in the titanium alloy. Then the method may include steps of recrystallization annealing the titanium alloy by heating the titanium alloy to a temperature in a range between 30 F. to 200 F. below beta transus of the titanium alloy for 1 hour to 6 hours and then furnace cooling of the titanium alloy to 1200 F. to 1500 F. at a rate of 50 F. to 500 F. per hour. Following the recrystallization annealing, the method may include beta annealing the titanium alloy. These steps may be performed in a single heat treating cycle.