A medical device and a method and process for at least partially forming a medical device, which medical device has improved physical properties.

A medical device and a method and process for at least partially forming a medical device, which medical device has improved physical properties.

Disclosed is a method for the heat treatment of at least one bar made from titanium aluminide alloy for manufacturing at least one low-pressure turbine blade for a turbomachine, comprising hot isostatic pressing of the bar, characterised in that the hot isostatic pressing (121) is followed, after a temperature transition phase, by a step of heat treatment (122) of the bar at a temperature in the immediate vicinity of the eutectoid temperature of the alloy, the temperature being suitable for the formation of an alloy microstructure with a volume fraction of at least 90% single-phase grains γ and a volume fraction of at most 10% of lamellar grains α+γ, the step being followed by a controlled cooling step (123).

The present disclosure relates to a titanium or titanium alloy member and to a surface hardening method for the titanium or titanium alloy member. The titanium or titanium alloy member includes a base material of titanium or titanium alloy, and at a surface of the base material, a hardened layer formed by diffusion of oxygen into the surface. The method includes: a heating step of heating the titanium or titanium alloy base material of the member to a predetermined temperature under an inert gas atmosphere; a hardening step of introducing (i) a mixed gas including an inert gas, and (ii) oxygen gas as a hardening treatment gas, to perform hardening treatment of the surface of the base material; and a cooling step of cooling the base material down to room temperature under the inert gas atmosphere.

A sputtering target and/or a coil disposed at a periphery of a plasma-generating region for confining plasma are provided. The target and/or coil has a surface to be eroded having a hydrogen content of 500 μL/cm.sup.2 or less. In dealing with reduction in hydrogen content of the surface of the target and/or coil, a process of producing the target and/or coil, in particular, conditions for heating the surface of the target and/or coil, which is believed to be a cause of hydrogen occlusion, are appropriately regulated. As a result, hydrogen occlusion at the surface of the target can be reduced, and the degree of vacuum during sputtering can be improved. Thus, a target and/or coil is provided that has a uniform and fine structure, makes plasma stable, and allows a film to be formed with excellent uniformity. A method of producing the target and/or the coil is also provided.

A sputtering target and/or a coil disposed at a periphery of a plasma-generating region for confining plasma are provided. The target and/or coil has a surface to be eroded having a hydrogen content of 500 μL/cm.sup.2 or less. In dealing with reduction in hydrogen content of the surface of the target and/or coil, a process of producing the target and/or coil, in particular, conditions for heating the surface of the target and/or coil, which is believed to be a cause of hydrogen occlusion, are appropriately regulated. As a result, hydrogen occlusion at the surface of the target can be reduced, and the degree of vacuum during sputtering can be improved. Thus, a target and/or coil is provided that has a uniform and fine structure, makes plasma stable, and allows a film to be formed with excellent uniformity. A method of producing the target and/or the coil is also provided.

A surface treatment for a metal substrate includes a nitride layer and a diamond-like carbon coating on said nitride layer. The metal substrate can be a titanium-containing substrate. The nitride layer and diamond-like carbon coating serve to improve the tribological properties of the metal substrate.

A titanium alloy composition is provided. In weight percent (wt. %), the alloy includes 5.7 to 8.0% vanadium, 0.5 to 1.75% aluminum, 0.25 to 1.5% iron, 0.1 to 0.2% oxygen, up to 0.15% silicon, up to 0.1% carbon and less than 0.03% nitrogen is provided. In one form, the titanium alloy has a 0.2% yield strength between 600 to 850 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength between 700 to 950 MPa, a percent elongation to failure between 20 to 30%, a percent reduction in area between 40 to 80%, a Charpy U-notch impact energy between 30 to 70 J, and/or a Charpy V-notch impact energy between 40 to 150 J.

A tungsten wire that contains tungsten or a tungsten alloy is provided. An average width of surface crystal grains in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the tungsten wire is at most 98 nm. The tungsten wire has a tensile strength of at least 3900 MPa. The tungsten wire has a diameter of at least 100 μm and at most 225 μm.

A tungsten wire that contains tungsten or a tungsten alloy is provided. An average width of surface crystal grains in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the tungsten wire is at most 98 nm. The tungsten wire has a tensile strength of at least 3900 MPa. The tungsten wire has a diameter of at least 100 μm and at most 225 μm.