Fabrication method for a component having magnetic and non-magnetic dual phases

Abstract

Methods for forming a dual-phase magnetic component from an initial component comprising a non-magnetic austenite composition are provided. The method may include: forming a coating on a portion of the surface of the initial component to form a masked area while leaving an unmasked area thereon. Thereafter the initial component may be heated to a treatment temperature such that nitrogen diffuses out of the unmasked area of the initial component to transform the non-magnetic austenite composition to a magnetic phase in the unmasked area. Thereafter, the initial component may be cooled from the treatment temperature to form a dual-phase magnetic component having a magnetic region corresponding to the unmasked area and a non-magnetic region corresponding to the masked area.

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The invention relates generally to a component having multiple magnetic and nonmagnetic regions, and a method of forming the same. More particularly, the invention relates to the formation of a component having multiple magnetic and nonmagnetic regions through expelling nitrogen in a controlled manner.

BACKGROUND

The need for high power density and high efficiency electrical machines (i.e., electric motors and generators) has long been prevalent for a variety of applications, particularly for hybrid and/or electric vehicle traction applications. The current trend in hybrid/electric vehicle traction motor applications is to increase rotational speeds to increase the machine's power density, and hence reduce its mass and cost. However, it is recognized that when electrical machines are used for traction applications in hybrid/electric vehicles, there is a clear tradeoff between power density, efficiency, and the machine's constant power speed range limited by rotor mechanical strength—and that this tradeoff presents numerous design challenges.

The power density of an electric machine may be increased by increasing the machine size, improving thermal management, increasing rotor speed, or by increasing the magnetic utilization. The magnetic utilization may be increased by using a combination of processing and alloying of a rotor lamination to create a dual phase magnetic material by developing localized areas of high and low permeability. The localized areas of high and low permeability generally reduce flux losses during rotor operation.

A range of ferrous based soft magnetic compositions of the rotor lamination may be austenitized by a combination of processes to form regions of low permeability. This phase transformation at selected regions in this process may be thermally driven in the presence of carbides in the alloy. Upon local heating, the carbides that are present at selected locations dissolve in the matrix and depress the martensite start temperature, thereby aiding the stabilization of austenite regions at room temperature. However, the presence of carbides in a magnetic microstructure is known to increase coercivity and to lower the magnetic saturation, as compared to traditional ferrous-based magnetic steels. A different method of stabilizing the austenite phase at room temperature in intermediate regions of the soft magnet, while starting from a substantially single phase microstructure, is desired to decrease the coercivity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Aspects and advantages will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

Methods are generally provided for forming a dual-phase magnetic component from an initial component comprising a non-magnetic austenite composition. In one embodiment, the method may include: forming a coating on a portion of the surface of the initial component to form a masked area while leaving an unmasked area thereon. Thereafter the initial component may be heated to a treatment temperature such that nitrogen diffuses out of the unmasked area of the initial component to transform the non-magnetic austenite composition to a magnetic phase in the unmasked area. Thereafter, the initial component may be cooled from the treatment temperature to form a dual-phase magnetic component having a magnetic region corresponding to the unmasked area and a non-magnetic region corresponding to the masked area.

These and other features, aspects and advantages will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain certain principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended FIGS., in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a masked component form forming a dual phase magnetic component, in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 2 illustrates a masked component form forming a dual phase magnetic component, in accordance with another embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates a masked component form forming a dual phase magnetic component, in accordance with another embodiment;

FIG. 4 illustrates a dual phase magnetic component formed after removing a coating, such as shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary topology of a dual phase magnetic component, that may be obtained by using the methods described herein, in accordance with one embodiment.

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or analogous features or elements of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Different embodiments of the present invention relate to a dual-phase magnetic component formed with a nonmagnetic phase and a magnetic phase and a method of forming the dual-phase magnetic component. The term “dual-phase magnetic component” as used herein may be a magnetic part of any product, such as for example, a rotor lamination or a stator lamination of a motor. The dual-phase magnetic component described herein has intermixed first and second regions, where the first region includes a magnetic phase and the second region includes a non-magnetic phase. The “intermixed first and second regions” hereby means that there are many first regions and second regions that are in the vicinity of each other.

Thus, the dual-phase magnetic component has dual magnetic regions with one set of regions having a magnetic phase, and another set having a non-magnetic phase. As used herein, the “magnetic phase” is a region where greater than 99 volume % of the region is magnetic, and in general, would act as a magnetic region. Further, a “non-magnetic phase” may be the region where greater than 90 volume % of the region is non-magnetic. The dual-phase magnetic component as used herein is usually prepared from a single material. As an example, the material may be a composite dual-phase magnetic component which is formed by providing a non-magnetic portion (e.g., an austenite portion) and a magnetic portion formed by expelling nitrogen to form a ferromagnetic portion in a controlled manner. When the dual-phase magnetic component is made using a single material, the negative effects of bonding or other joining methods a ferromagnetic portion and a non-magnetic portion are reduced by ensuring reliability, hermeticity, and the bond strength of the magnetic component, since many joining methods to join magnetic/non-magnetic materials have the disadvantage of mechanical property degradation at the joint. Further, joining method for thin laminates is time consuming, costly, and requires additional surface finish, thus less practical to be adopted for mass production. Thus, a monolithic piece of material having magnetic, non-magnetic properties at designated regions is superior to any joining methods.

The “magnetic phase” as used herein is a material in a magnetic state having a relative permeability greater than 1. In one embodiment, the relative permeability of the magnetic phase of the first region of the magnetic component is greater than 100, and a saturation magnetization is greater than 1.5 Tesla. A “non-magnetic phase” as used herein has greater than 90 volume % of the material in which the permeability is approximately 1, and the saturation magnetization is about zero.

Austenite, also known as gamma phase iron (y-Fe), is a metallic, non-magnetic allotrope of iron or a solid solution of iron. Heating the iron, iron-based metal, or steel to a temperature at which it changes crystal structure from ferrite to austenite is called austenitization. The addition of certain alloying elements, such as manganese, nickel, nitrogen, and carbon, can stabilize the austenitic structure even at room temperature. A dual phase magnetic component may be formed by stabilizing austenite at room temperature, in some regions of the magnetic component, while retaining the strongly ferromagnetic martensite or ferrite phases at some other regions of the magnetic component.

The presence of carbon is known to stabilize the non-magnetic austenite structure. Earlier efforts had been directed at dissolving formed carbides at selected regions of the magnetic component to stabilize non-magnetic phases at those regions of the magnetic component. In one embodiment of the present invention, a magnetic region of the magnetic component is formed by forming a ferrite structure (e.g., ferromagnetic martensite or ferrite phases) by the removal of nitrogen in those regions while retaining the austenite regions.

Carbides as second phases are known to be undesirable for the dual-phase magnetic component. Thus, in some embodiments of the present invention, the material forming the dual-phase magnetic component is substantially free of carbon. However, in other embodiments of the invention, the composition may contain a relatively small level of carbon, which can sometimes increase the tensile strength of the magnetic region. In these embodiments, the total amount of carbon in the magnetic and non-magnetic regions must be less than about 0.05 weight %.

Like carbon, as nitrogen dissolves into a ferrous alloy, the austenite phase is stabilized. Generally, the presence of carbides, which serve to stabilize the austenite phase upon local heat treatment and dissolution, is established by alloying the initial materials with carbon in the melt.

In one embodiment, the initial component is formed from a nonmagnetic austenite iron-based alloy, which also includes chromium, manganese, nitrogen, and/or other alloying elements. In one particular embodiment, the initial component has a composition formed from melting high nitrogen steel via high pressure-electroslag-remelting or counter-pressure-casting methods to generate high-nitrogen austenitic ingots, as nitrogen solubility in molten steel is very low in conventional melting methods without high pressure of nitrogen gas. Thus, the non-magnetic region includes nitrogen in a quantity that stabilizes the austenite phase. In one embodiment, the austenite composition of the initial component has a nitrogen concentration that is greater than 0.4% by weight (e.g., greater than 0.5% by weight). Thus, the state of the initial component 10 is nonmagnetic.

A method is generally disclosed for forming a dual-phase magnetic component. Thermodynamic and empirical calculations may be used to predict austenite alloy compositions that upon the removal of nitrogen at elevated temperatures to form the ferromagnetic phase. A dual-phase magnetic component using the designed austenite alloy composition may be formed by using the traditional methods. In one embodiment, a formed nonmagnetic component is subjected to selective expelling of nitrogen in particular regions of the near-final component, without the need to substantially alter the shape and size of the formed dual-phase magnetic component after selective expelling of nitrogen. As used herein the term “selective expelling of nitrogen” is the removal of nitrogen of some regions of the dual-phase magnetic component, without substantially altering the austenite nature of the nearby regions. The austenite nature of the nearby regions may be considered to be “substantially altered,” if the average saturation magnetization of those regions is increased by more than about 5 percent.

The selective expelling of nitrogen to form the dual-phase magnetic component may be attained by using different methods of expelling of nitrogen. A chemical, physical, or mechanical block may be provided to the regions of the initial component where the expelling of nitrogen is not desirable to prevent magnetization in those areas. For example, a chemical composition that discourages nitrogen diffusion out of the initial component may be used as the “nitrogen stop-off” material at some regions. A physical method of selectively expelling nitrogen at selected regions, while retaining the nitrogen in the other regions, may be used. A mechanical block may be able to mechanically prevent the diffusion of the nitrogen at certain regions.

In one embodiment of the present invention, elevated temperature gas expelling of nitrogen is used as the preferred method to remove nitrogen from the part. The elevated temperatures in this technique allow for fast diffusion of nitrogen out of the unmasked regions, providing a quick processing route. In order to avoid nitrogen removal in those areas which are intended to stay austenitic (and thus nonmagnetic), in one embodiment, a mechanical mask or stop-off material is applied to locations where nitrogen diffusion out of the part or significant nitrogen loss is not desirable. Thus, in this embodiment, the pre-selected regions that correspond to the regions that are supposed to remain nonmagnetic (austenitic) are masked, using a mechanical method, e.g., a nitrogen stop-off material. As used herein a “nitrogen stop-off material” is a material that is capable of substantially stopping the nitrogen from leaving from that region. It is not necessary that the stop-off material itself contain nitrogen.

The nonmagnetic component that is subjected to the selective expelling of nitrogen to form the dual-phase magnetic component may be exemplified in FIG. 1. The initial component 10 is formed of an austenite material, in the size and shape required for the final application of the resulting component. The initial component 10 is, in one embodiment, formed of a composition that has a very reduced concentration of carbon (e.g., a concentration of carbon that is less than 0.05 weight %, such as being substantially free of carbon), and may be of any shape and size.

For ease of understanding herein, the initial component 10 is depicted as having a rectangular shape with the top surface 12 and the bottom surface 14 in FIGS. 1 and 2, although it is to be understood that the shape of the initial component 10 may be as desired for the component's application. The initial component 10 has a certain length (1), width (w), and thickness (t). As shown in FIG. 3, a coating 16 is applied on a portion of the surfaces 12, 14 to define a first region 20 corresponding to a masked area 21 and a second region 30 corresponding to an unmasked, exposed area 31.

The coating 16 may be formed of any material suitable for inhibiting and/or blocking diffusion of nitrogen from the masked area 21 without significantly impacting the other properties of the component 10 (e.g., a nitrogen stop-off material). For example, when formed of an iron alloy comprising chromium, the coating 16 may be formed from a chromium oxide, aluminum-silicate materials, aluminide silicide materials, etc., or mixtures thereof. The coating 16 may be formed to a thickness that is generally sufficient to inhibiting and/or blocking diffusion of nitrogen from the masked area 21 without being too thick as to be wasteful of excessive material. For example, the coating 16 may have a thickness of 125 μm or less (e.g., 10 μm to 125 μm, such as 10 μm to 100 μm) on the surfaces 12, 14 of the component 10.

The first region 20 (corresponding to the masked area 21) is designed to be the nonmagnetic region, and the second region 30 (corresponding to an unmasked, exposed area 31) is designed to be the magnetic region. Referring to FIG. 3, the absence of the coating 16 over the second region 30 in the unmasked area 31 allows for nitrogen to diffuse out of the component 10, making the regions magnetic. One skilled in the art would understand that depending on the shape and size of the magnetic and non-magnetic regions, the masks may be designed of different shapes and at different surfaces.

The nitrogen stop-off material masks formed by the coating 16 may be applied to the component 10 depending on the desired pattern of nitrogen expelling out of the component (and non-expelling) for the component 10. For example, in FIG. 1, the coating 16 is at the surface region 12 corresponding to the different first regions 20, and also at the surfaces 14 covering the thickness of the component 10. Thus, in FIG. 1, nitrogen expelling out of the component would occur only through the second regions 30 (unmasked areas 31) on the top surface 12 and bottom surfaces 14, and not through the thickness t of the component. In FIG. 2, the surfaces through the thickness of the component 10 further include the masked and unmasked regions and hence, the nitrogen expelling out of the component occurs from the top, bottom, and side surfaces in a controlled way.

Nitrogen may be diffused out of the component 10 through selective expelling of nitrogen during a heat treatment process. Generally, the diffusion of nitrogen out of the unmasked area 31 is expected to increase with a higher heat-treatment temperature and/or a reduced treatment pressure. For example, the heat treatment process may be performed at a treatment temperature that is greater than 1000° C. (e.g., 1100° C. to 1300° C.). Generally, the diffusion kinetics of nitrogen out of the unmasked area 31 is expected to increase with a higher heat-treatment temperature. However, if the treatment temperature is too low, then the interstitial nitrogen may form nitrides in the masked regions, which would increase the magnetism therein. If the treatment temperature is too high (e.g., greater than 1300° C.), there could be challenges with coating integrity.

Additionally, the diffusion of nitrogen out of the unmasked area 31 is expected to increase with a reduced treatment pressure in the treatment environment. In one embodiment, the heat treatment process is performed at a treatment pressure that is less than atmospheric pressure (i.e., a negative pressure atmosphere that is less than 1 atmosphere in pressure). For example, the treatment pressure may be less than 0.75 atmosphere (e.g., less than 0.5 atmosphere). The treatment pressure may be created by evacuating a furnace cavity and may be maintained through the continuous evacuation of nitrogen during processing. In certain embodiments, the heat treatment may be performed in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere, particularly when the component composition includes chromium, so as to inhibit the formation of oxides (e.g., chromium oxide) on the surface of the unmasked area. Such oxides may interfere with the nitrogen evacuating from those unmasked areas. In one particular embodiment, an ambient pressure of less than 1 atmosphere (e.g., less than 0.75 atmosphere) and a temperature greater than 1000° C. (e.g., 1100° C. to 1300° C.) is used for selective expelling of nitrogen.

When the initial component 10 is subjected to selective expelling of nitrogen, the nitrogen diffuses out of the component 10, through all exposed faces of the component 10, including the top surface 12, bottom surface 14, and all of the unmasked side surfaces of the component. This removal of nitrogen, in conjunction with the composition of the component 10, changes the local phase stability in those unmasked regions 31, and converts those regions from a non-magnetic austenite to magnetic ferromagnetic martensite or ferrite phases.

The nitrogen may be diffusing out of the interior of the component 10 through the non-masked surface regions, but depending on the pressure and temperature, and certain other parameters, nitrogen may also slightly expel from the surface masked regions 20, thereby diffusing out of some of the masked areas 21. Hence, the strict boundaries of the magnetic and non-magnetic regions in the surface portion may be more integral in the interior portions.

Through empirical and thermodynamic calculations, the parameters of selective expelling of nitrogen may be adjusted, and the selective expelling of nitrogen at different directions may be predicted for certain regions of the magnetic component 10, and accordingly, the mask size and shape may be altered so that the end product obtained is approximately the desired outcome of the selective expelling of nitrogen.

In one embodiment, the thickness of the component 10 is in a range from 0.1 mm to 5 mm. The desired pattern of the magnetic and non-magnetic regions of this component may be obtained by selective expelling of nitrogen through the selectively masked top surface 12 and bottom surface 14, keeping the side surfaces of the thickness completely masked. Width 24 (FIG. 2) of the masked area 21 and the distance 34 between the masked areas 21 may be designed as per the requirement of the resulting dual phase magnetic component 100 (FIG. 4).

Selective expelling of nitrogen from the initial component 10 at designed conditions allows the removal of a tailored amount of interstitial nitrogen from the magnetic component. In one embodiment, the unmasked region 31 includes less than 0.4% by weight of nitrogen following heat treatment, such as less than 0.1% by weight (e.g., less than 0.05% by weight). The expelling of nitrogen is not only limited to the unmasked regions of the surface, but may also occur in both the surface portion and the interior portion of the magnetic component 10. However, the concentration of nitrogen in the surface portion and the interior portion need not be uniform.

Following the heat treatment process, the initial component 10 may be cooled from the treatment temperature to form a dual-phase magnetic component having a magnetic region corresponding to the unmasked area and a non-magnetic region corresponding to the masked area. For example, the component 10 may be quenched by rapid cooling to lock in the phase change in the unmasked areas such that the magnetic ferromagnetic martensite or ferrite phases remain in the resulting dual phase magnetic component 100 (FIG. 4). In one embodiment, quenching may involve rapid cooling from the treatment temperature to less than 100° C. (as measured at a temperature of the surface 12) in a manner of 1 minute or less.

The coating 16 may then be removed from the surfaces 12, 14 through any method, including physical methods (e.g., grit blasting), chemical methods (e.g., chemical etching), laser removal methods, etc.

FIG. 4 shows a dual-phase magnetic component 100 after removal of the coating and mask to expose the entire surfaces 12 and 14. The dual-phase magnetic component 100 includes nonmagnetic areas 102 (corresponding to masked areas 21 of FIG. 3) and magnetic areas 104 (corresponding to unmasked areas 31 of FIG. 3). In particular embodiments, the non-magnetic areas 102 include an austenite composition having a nitrogen concentration that is greater 0.4% by weight (e.g., greater than 0.5% by weight), which may be substantially identical as the composition of the initial component. The magnetic area 104 of the dual-phase magnetic component 100 may has a nitrogen concentration that is less than 0.4% by weight, such as less than 0.1% by weight (e.g., 0.05% by weight).

Depending on the applications, the desired magnetic region and the non-magnetic region shapes and ratios may vary, and the selective expelling of nitrogen may be designed to satisfy these requirements. Accordingly, in one embodiment, a volume percent of the first region in the surface and interior portions is equal to or greater than the volume percent of the second region in the surface and interior portions. In one embodiment, at least one of the first and second regions has an interconnected geometry. The “interconnected geometry” as used herein implies that a region is connected all through the component, and is hence not isolated completely from the similar regions, being surrounded by the other regions completely.

Different topologies may be presented, having dual phase magnetic materials, by using this technology. FIG. 5 of the present application shows an example of a topology that could benefit from the dual-phase materials. The component 40 can represent a portion of the reluctance machine, including a magnetic region 42 and a non-magnetic region 44, collectively referred to as “laminated segments” below. The selectively shaped rotor 43 of the component 40 is configured as a four-pole machine. Each pole can comprise a plurality of the axially-extending, radially positioned (“stacked”) laminated segments 45, 47, 49, and the like, which extend from each pole, terminating at a central rotor shaft 51. As described in the U.S. Pat. No. 7,489,062 (Shah et al), the number of poles, and the number of laminations, can vary greatly, depending on the particular design of the reluctance machine.

With continued reference to FIG. 5, the laminated segments effectively guide the magnetic flux into and out of the rotor 43. The magnetic regions 42 constrain the path of the magnetic flux, while the nonmagnetic regions 44 ensure a relatively high density of magnetic flux lines coming out of the surface of the rotor, and going into an air gap between the rotor and the stator. In manufacturing these types of reluctance machines according to conventional techniques, magnetic and nonmagnetic laminations usually had to be assembled by various mechanical/metalworking steps, e.g., cutting and welding. The present inventors discovered that many of the desirable techniques could be obtained much more efficiently by the masking and selective expelling of nitrogen process described herein.

Further aspects of the invention are provided by the subject matter of the following clauses:

1. A method of forming a dual-phase magnetic component from an initial component comprising a non-magnetic austenite composition and having a surface, the method comprising: forming a coating on a portion of the surface of the initial component to form a masked area while leaving an unmasked area thereon; thereafter, heating the initial component to a treatment temperature such that nitrogen diffuses out of the unmasked area of the initial component to transform the non-magnetic austenite composition to a magnetic phase in the unmasked area; and thereafter, cooling the initial component from the treatment temperature to form a dual-phase magnetic component having a magnetic region corresponding to the unmasked area and a non-magnetic region corresponding to the masked area.

2. The method of any preceding clause, wherein nitrogen is retained in the unmasked area of the initial component during heating the initial component to the treatment temperature such that the masked area retains the non-magnetic austenite composition.

3. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the treatment temperature is greater than 1000° C.

4. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the treatment temperature of 1100° C. to 1300° C.

5. The method of any preceding clause, wherein cooling the initial component from the treatment temperature is performed at a cooling rate sufficiently fast to retain both magnetic and non-magnetic phases formed during heating.

6. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the heating the initial component is performed at a treatment pressure of less than 1 atmosphere.

7. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the heating the initial component is performed at a treatment pressure of less than 0.5 atmosphere.

8. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the coating comprises chromium oxide.

9. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the non-magnetic austenite composition comprises an iron alloy that includes chromium, manganese, and nitrogen.

10. The method of any preceding clause, wherein heating the initial component is performed in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere to inhibit formation of chromium oxide on the unmasked area.

11. The method of any preceding clause, further comprising: after cooling the initial component from the treatment temperature, removing the coating from the dual-phase magnetic component.

12. The method of any preceding clause, wherein removing the coating comprises mechanically or chemically removing the coating from the dual-phase magnetic component.

13. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the non-magnetic austenite composition that has a nitrogen concentration that is greater than 0.4% by weight.

14. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the non-magnetic austenite composition that has a nitrogen concentration that is greater than 0.5% by weight.

15. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the magnetic region of the dual-phase magnetic component has a nitrogen concentration that is less than 0.4% by weight.

16. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the magnetic region of the dual-phase magnetic component has a nitrogen concentration that is less than 0.1% by weight.

17. A method of forming a dual-phase magnetic component from an initial component comprising a non-magnetic austenite composition, the method comprising: removing nitrogen from a portion of the non-magnetic austenite composition to form a magnetic region therein.

18. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the non-magnetic austenite composition has a nitrogen concentration that is greater 0.4% by weight.

19. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the magnetic region of the dual-phase magnetic component has a nitrogen concentration that is less than 0.4% by weight.

20. The method of any preceding clause, wherein removing nitrogen from the portion of the non-magnetic austenite composition to form the magnetic region therein, comprises: forming a coating on a portion of the surface of the initial component to form a masked area while leaving an unmasked area thereon; removing nitrogen from the unmasked area at a treatment temperature and at a treatment pressure to transform the non-magnetic austenite composition to a magnetic phase in the unmasked area, wherein the treatment temperature is greater than 1000° C. and the treatment pressure is less than 1 atmosphere; and thereafter, cooling the initial component from the treatment temperature to form a dual-phase magnetic component having a magnetic region corresponding to the unmasked area and a non-magnetic region corresponding to the masked area.

This written description uses exemplary embodiments to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of forming a dual-phase magnetic component from an initial component comprising a non-magnetic austenite composition and having a surface, the method comprising: forming a coating on a portion of the surface of the initial component to form a masked area while leaving an unmasked area thereon;thereafter, heating the initial component to a treatment temperature such that nitrogen diffuses out of the unmasked area of the initial component to transform the non-magnetic austenite composition to a magnetic phase in the unmasked area; andthereafter, cooling the initial component from the treatment temperature to form a dual-phase magnetic component having a magnetic region corresponding to the unmasked area and a non-magnetic region corresponding to the masked area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein nitrogen is retained in the unmasked area of the initial component during heating the initial component to the treatment temperature such that the masked area retains the non-magnetic austenite composition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment temperature is greater than 1000° C.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment temperature of 1100° C. to 1300° C.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein cooling the initial component from the treatment temperature is performed at a cooling rate sufficiently fast to retain both magnetic and non-magnetic phases formed during heating.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating the initial component is performed at a treatment pressure of less than 1 atmosphere.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the heating the initial component is performed at a treatment pressure of less than 0.5 atmosphere.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises chromium oxide.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-magnetic austenite composition comprises an iron alloy that includes chromium, manganese, and nitrogen.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein heating the initial component is performed in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere to inhibit formation of chromium oxide on the unmasked area.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: after cooling the initial component from the treatment temperature, removing the coating from the dual-phase magnetic component.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein removing the coating comprises mechanically or chemically removing the coating from the dual-phase magnetic component.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-magnetic austenite composition that has a nitrogen concentration that is greater than 0.4% by weight.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-magnetic austenite composition that has a nitrogen concentration that is greater than 0.5% by weight.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the magnetic region of the dual-phase magnetic component has a nitrogen concentration that is less than 0.4% by weight.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the magnetic region of the dual-phase magnetic component has a nitrogen concentration that is less than 0.1% by weight.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating comprises a chromium oxide, aluminum-silicate materials, aluminide silicide materials, or mixtures thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating has a thickness of 125 μm or less.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the coating has a thickness of 10 μm to 100 μm.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein heating the initial component to the treatment temperature is performed in a furnace cavity with continuous evacuation of nitrogen from the furnace cavity.