Manufacturing method for isothermal evaporation casting process

Abstract

A manufacturing method for an isothermal evaporation casting process is disclosed and to design the manufacturing method for the simple atmospheric casting. The present invention can melt the Mg—Ni alloy with the aspect of totally different melting points thereof, and the other elements can be added during melting simultaneously. Through the Mg—Ni alloy with a suitable weight ratio, the eutectic alloy of Mg/Mg2Ni and high purified γ-phase Mg2Ni can be made. Then adding other elements are to produce the composition of Mg/Ni/M. By way of the manufacturing method of the present invention, the melting equipment is simplified; and, through different manufacturing steps, the purposes of time-saving and low cost are reached; further that, a large amount of the eutectic alloy of Mg/Mg2Ni with different kinds of ratios of Mg, high purified γ-phase Mg2Ni, or the composition of Mg/Ni/M can be obtained.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a flow chart of a preferred embodiment of a manufacturing method for an isothermal evaporation casting process of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a Mg—Ni equilibrium phase diagram;

FIG. 3 illustrates a high purified Mg₂Ni alloy produced by the present invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates the high purified Mg₂Ni alloy analyzed by X-ray diffraction and shows the diffraction peaks of the Mg₂Ni;

FIG. 5 illustrates the microstructure of a high purified Mg₂Ni alloy, and the analyzed result by EPMA is Mg_67.3Ni_32.7;

FIG. 6 illustrates the specific curves of absorbing and releasing hydrogen of the block high purified Mg₂Ni alloy, the specific curves are determined by PCI;

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow chart of another preferred embodiment of the manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a flow chart of another preferred embodiment of the manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCCRIPTIONS OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

According to the dimensions of a furnace, having the suitable total weight of an alloy, raising the temperature of the furnace up to above the liquid phase line of the Mg—Ni equilibrium phase diagram of a specific weight ratio may melt the solid state of magnesium and nickel into the liquid phase, but the temperature range is between 507° C. to 900° C. Other elements can be added within the processes mentioned above, such as Al, Fe, Zr, Ti, Cu, C, Pd, Pt, etc. Continuously, to react magnesium and nickel in a two-phase section is to obtain Mg₂Ni. Then cooling down and re-raising the temperature for engaging the process of vaporizing Mg can acquire the Mg₂Ni with high degree of purity or the composition of Mg/Ni/M.

There are a plurality of preferred embodiments for the present invention as shown below:

The first preferred embodiment is as follows:

The manufacturing method of the present invention shall refer to FIG. 1, and includes:

preparing a melting crucible, magnesium, nickel, refractory clay or soft ceramic, and protecting gas as inert gas, wherein the melting crucible can be stainless steel and with an upper cover, the upper cover is drilled a hole, the height of the upper cover and the dimensions of the melting pot let a mechanical stirring rod stir within the melting process and take off the liquid surface of the melted metals under the condition of sealing the melting pot; then taking the weight ratio of magnesium and nickel of the melting liquid as 50% to 50%, and putting it into the melting crucible, continuously sealing the melting crucible with refractory clay or soft ceramic and flowing the protecting gas into the melting pot for protection.

The method includes the steps of:

• (a01) raising the temperature of the melting liquid to the melting temperature of magnesium and nickel, which is about 800° C.;
• (b01) melting the magnesium and the nickel into the state of liquid, continuously stirring the liquid by way of mechanism, wherein the stirring rod is off the liquid to prevent that the melting metals are solidified thereon after the mechanism finishes the stirring;
• (c01) lowering the temperature of the melting liquid down to the temperature of a two-phase region, which is between 510° C. to 650° C.;
• (d01) maintaining a period of reacting time after the temperature of the two-phase region is reached, the period the reacting time is between 40 to 60 minutes;
• (e01) re-lowering the temperature of the melting liquid down until that a block material of an alloy of primary Mg₂Ni and eutectic Mg+Mg₂Ni is made;
• (f01) removing the block material to another sealed heating furnace for heating to the vaporizing temperature of the magnesium, which is about 700° C.;
• (g01) the heating furnace being added a vapor-guiding apparatus so as to completely exhaust the magnesium of the block material by vaporizing for safety, to control the amount of the magnesium vapor being to control the residue amount of the magnesium in the eutectic Mg+Mg₂Ni;
• (h01) lowering down the temperature of the block material without the magnesium after vaporizing, and gaining the primary Mg₂Ni and the eutectic Mg₂Ni, wherein the Mg₂Ni is a high purified alloy, as shown in FIG. 3.

A little powder of the Mg₂Ni alloy is analyzed by X-ray diffraction, and the analyzing result is shown as FIG. 4. The diffraction peak 10 coincides with the Mg₂Ni peak 20 in JCPD standard. Which means, the alloy is mainly composed of Mg₂Ni, and the Mg₂Ni from the present invention is high degree of purity. For further assuring the ratio of the composition, the alloy can be analyzed by EPMA, the composed ratio of Mg atom and Ni atom is Mg_67.3Ni_32.7, as shown in FIG. 5. That is, the highly purified Mg₂Ni is produced successfully.

Constantly, the Mg₂Ni is engaged with the test of absorbing and releasing hydrogen. The test adopts PCI to gain the specific curves of absorbing and releasing hydrogen, as shown in FIG. 6. Wherein the maximum amount of absorbing hydrogen of the Mg₂Ni is about 3.5 wt. %, which is the same as reference. Therefore, the alloy of Mg and Ni is truly Mg₂Ni.

The second preferred embodiment is as follows:

The second preferred embodiment discloses the manufacturing method for saving a few steps, as shown in FIG. 7, and includes the steps of:

• (a02) raising the temperature of the melting liquid to the melting temperature of magnesium and nickel, which is about 800° C.;
• (b02) melting the magnesium and the nickel into the state of liquid, continuously stirring the liquid by way of mechanism, wherein the stirring rod is off the liquid to prevent that the melting metals are solidified thereon after the mechanism finishes the stirring;
• (c02) lowering the temperature of the melting liquid down to the temperature of a two-phase region, which is between 510° C. to 650° C.;
• (d02) maintaining a period of reacting time after the temperature of the two-phase section is reached, the period the reacting time is between 40 to 60 minutes;
• (e02) heating to the vaporizing temperature of the magnesium, which is about 700° C.;
• (f02) maintaining the vaporizing temperature of the magnesium for a period of time, wherein the period of time is about 2 hours;
• (g02) opening a sealed furnace as a heating furnace, the heating furnace being added a vapor-guiding apparatus so as to completely exhaust the magnesium of the block material by vaporizing for safety, to control the amount of the magnesium vapor being to control the residue amount of the magnesium in the eutectic Mg+Mg₂Ni;
• (h02) lowering down the temperature of the block material without the magnesium after vaporizing, and gaining the Mg₂Ni, wherein the Mg₂Ni is a high purified alloy.

With the above X-ray diffraction analysis and EPMA, the resulted alloy is pure Mg₂Ni. The compositions of EPMA are listed as the following table:

		1st point	2nd point	3rd point
Mass %
	Mg	45.968	45.906	46.425
	Ni	54.457	53.671	54.304
Atomic %
	Mg	67.0774	67.3475	67.3601
	Ni	32.9040	32.6035	32.6254

The third preferred embodiment is as follows:

With reference to FIG. 8, which is the third preferred embodiment of the present invention for saving more steps of the manufacturing method.

The heating furnace is added a vapor-guiding apparatus so as to completely exhaust the magnesium of the block material by vaporizing for safety, and to control the amount of the magnesium vapor is to control the residue amount of the magnesium in the eutectic Mg+Mg₂Ni.

The third preferred embodiment includes the steps of:

• (a03) raising the temperature of the melting liquid to the melting temperature of magnesium and nickel, which is about 800° C.;
• (b03) melting the magnesium and the nickel into the state of liquid, continuously stirring the liquid by way of mechanism, wherein the stirring rod is off the liquid to prevent that the melting metals are solidified thereon after the mechanism finishes the stirring;
• (c03) lowering the temperature of the melting liquid down to 750° C.;
• (d03) adopting the way of stepping temperature-drop from 750° C., and each period of dropped temperature being maintained for a period of time, wherein one period of dropped temperature is about 10° C. and one period of time is about 10 minutes; and
• (e03) directly lowering down to a room temperature while the dropped temperature approaches to 510° C.

The purpose of the third preferred embodiment is to produce Mg₂Ni by the reaction of Mg and Ni at the time of stepping temperature-drop; simultaneously, the additional magnesium is vaporized in order to produce the pure Mg₂Ni. Thereafter, the cooled alloy is analyzed by the X-ray diffraction analysis and EPMA and then approved. That is, the alloy is composed of pure Mg₂Ni.

The fourth preferred embodiment is as follows:

The fourth preferred embodiment adopts the steps of the first preferred embodiment, but adding a microelement as aluminum into the alloy of Mg and Ni. Then a melting pot is prepared in advance, wherein the melting crucible can be stainless steel and with an upper cover, the upper cover is drilled a hole, the height of the upper cover and the dimensions of the melting pot let a mechanical stirring rod stir within the melting process and take off the liquid surface of the melted metals under the condition of sealing the melting pot.

The weight ratio of Ni is a fixed value of 45 wt. %, others are Mg and Al. The weight ratio of Al is increased from 0 to 4 wt. %, the rest is Mg. The compositions of the alloy of Mg, Ni, and Al are listed as the following table:

	Mg	Ni	Al
	Weight ratio before melting	55%	45%	0
	Weight ratio before melting	54.5%	45%	0.5%
	Weight ratio before melting	54%	45%	1%
	Weight ratio before melting	53%	45%	2%
	Weight ratio before melting	51%	45%	4%

The dispensed alloy is put into the pre-prepared melting crucible, continuously sealing the melting pot with refractory clay or soft ceramic and flowing the protecting gas into the melting pot for protection, where the protecting gas is argon. Then the temperature of the melting liquid is raised up to 800° C. so as to let Ni and Mg be in the state of liquid, the mechanical stirring rod is stirring within the melting process and taken off the liquid surface of the melted metals to prevent that the melting metals are solidified thereon after the mechanism finishes the stirring. The temperature of the melting liquid is lowered down to the temperature of the two-phase region, which is between 510° C. to 650° C. A period of reacting time is maintained after the temperature of the two-phase region is reached, the period the reacting time is between 40 to 60 minutes. The temperature of the melting liquid is re-lowered down to a room temperature until that a block material of an alloy is made.

The block material is removed to another sealed heating furnace for heating to the vaporizing temperature of the magnesium, which is 700° C. The heating furnace is added a vapor-guiding apparatus so as to completely exhaust the magnesium of the block material by vaporizing for safety. The temperature of the block material without the magnesium after vaporizing is lowered down again, and thus a block alloy is gained. The alloy can be analyzed by EPMA and ICP to assure that the composition of Mg/Mg₂Ni/Al is formed.

The fifth preferred embodiment is as follows:

The fifth preferred embodiment adopts the steps of the first preferred embodiment, but adding an element as copper into the alloy of Mg and Ni. Then a melting crucible is prepared in advance, wherein the melting crucible can be stainless steel and with an upper cover, the upper cover is drilled a hole, the height of the upper cover and the dimensions of the melting pot let a mechanical stirring rod stir within the melting process and take off the liquid surface of the melted metals under the condition of sealing the melting pot.

The weight ratio of Mg, Ni, and Cu is 55 wt. %:43 wt. %:2 wt. %. The dispensed alloy is put into the pre-prepared melting crucible, continuously sealing the melting pot with refractory clay or soft ceramic and flowing the protecting gas into the melting pot for protection, where the protecting gas is argon. Then the temperature of the melting liquid is raised up to 800° C. so as to let Ni and Mg be in the state of liquid, the mechanical stirring rod is stirring within the melting process and taken off the liquid surface of the melted metals to prevent that the melting metals are solidified thereon after the mechanism finishes the stirring. The temperature of the melting liquid is lowered down to the temperature of the two-phase region, which is between 510° C. to 650° C. A period of reacting time is maintained after the temperature of the two-phase region is reached, the period the reacting time is between 40 to 60 minutes. The temperature of the melting liquid is re-lowered down to a room temperature until that a block material of an alloy is made.

The block material is removed to another sealed heating furnace for heating to the vaporizing temperature of the magnesium, which is 700° C. The heating furnace is added a vapor-guiding apparatus so as to completely exhaust the magnesium of the block material by vaporizing for safety. The temperature of the block material without the magnesium after vaporizing is lowered down again, and thus a block alloy is gained. The alloy can be analyzed by EPMA and ICP to assure that the composition of Mg/Mg₂Ni/Al is formed.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for an isothermal evaporation casting process, comprising the steps of: (a) raising the temperature of a melting crucible to the melting temperature of magnesium and nickel;(b) melting the magnesium and the nickel into the state of liquid, continuously and averagely stirring the liquid;(c) lowering the temperature of the melting liquid down to the temperature of a two-phase region;(d) maintaining a period of reacting time after the temperature of the two-phase section is reached;(e) re-lowering the temperature of the melting liquid down until that a block material of an alloy of primary Mg2Ni and eutectic Mg+Mg2Ni is made;(f) removing the block material to another heating furnace for heating to the vaporizing temperature of the magnesium;(g) evaporating the magnesium from the block material by way of the heating furnace continuously heating up; and(h) lowering down the temperature of the block material without the magnesium, and gaining the primary Mg2Ni and the eutectic Mg2Ni, wherein the Mg2Ni is a high purified alloy.

2. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 1, wherein the magnesium and the nickel are defined from the group of: pure powder magnesium and nickel, pure block magnesium and nickel, and the combination thereof.

3. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 1, wherein the step of adding other elements is inserted between the step (a) and the step (b), that is, the elements M are added to let the alloy be the compound of Mg/Mg2Ni/M, the elements M are selected from the group of aluminum, iron, zirconium, titanium, copper, carbon, palladium, platinum, and cobalt.

4. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 1, wherein the steps of (a) to (e) are processed in the sealed melting crucible, which is full of protecting gas, the sealed melting crucible is exposed in the atmosphere.

5. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 1, wherein the step of a stirring can be added into the step of (b) and performed by way of mechanism, electromagnet, or the combination thereof, a stirring rod is off the liquid to prevent that the melting metals are solidified thereon after the mechanism finishes the stirring.

6. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 1, wherein the step of (g) of the heating furnace is added a vapor-guiding apparatus, to control the amount of the magnesium vapor is to control the residue amount of the magnesium in the eutectic Mg+Mg2Ni.

7. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 4, wherein the protecting gas is selected from the group of the inert gas of argon, nitrogen, and SF6.

8. A manufacturing method for an isothermal evaporation casting process, comprising the steps of: (a) raising the temperature of a melting crucible to the melting temperature of magnesium and nickel;(b) melting the magnesium and the nickel into the state of liquid, continuously and averagely stirring the liquid;(c) lowering the temperature of the melting liquid down to the temperature of a two-phase region;(d) maintaining a period of reacting time after the temperature of the two-phase region is reached;(e) heating the temperature of the melting liquid up to the vaporizing temperature of the magnesium;(f) maintaining a period of time for the vaporizing temperature of the magnesium;(g) evaporating the magnesium of a block material in a heating furnace; and(h) lowering down the temperature of the block material, and then removing the block material out of the heating furnace to gain the high purified Mg2Ni alloy.

9. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 8, wherein the magnesium and the nickel are defined from the group of: pure powder magnesium and nickel, pure block magnesium and nickel, and the combination thereof.

10. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 8, wherein the step of adding other elements is inserted between the step (a) and the step (b), that is, the elements M are added to let the alloy be the compound of Mg/Mg2Ni/M, the elements M are selected from the group of aluminum, iron, zirconium, titanium, copper, carbon, palladium, platinum, and cobalt.

11. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 8, wherein the steps of (a) to (h) are processed in the sealed melting crucible, which is full of protecting gas, the sealed melting crucible is exposed in the atmosphere.

12. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 8, wherein the step of a stirring can be added into the step of (b) and performed by way of mechanism, electromagnet, or the combination thereof, a stirring rod is off the liquid to prevent that the melting metals are solidified thereon after the mechanism finishes the stirring.

13. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 8, wherein the step of (g) of the heating furnace is added a vapor-guiding apparatus, to control the amount of the magnesium vapor is to control the residue amount of the magnesium in the eutectic Mg+Mg2Ni.

14. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 11, wherein the protecting gas is selected from the group of the inert gas of argon, nitrogen, and SF6.

15. A manufacturing method for an isothermal evaporation casting process, comprising the steps of: (a) raising the temperature of a melting crucible to the melting temperature of magnesium and nickel;(b) melting the magnesium and the nickel into the state of liquid, continuously and averagely stirring the liquid;(c) lowering the temperature of the melting liquid down to 750° C.;(d) adopting the way of stepping temperature-drop, and each period of dropped temperature being maintained for a period of time; and(e) directly lowering down to a room temperature while the dropped temperature approaches to between 660° C. and 510° C.

16. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 15, wherein the magnesium and the nickel are defined from the group of: pure powder magnesium and nickel, pure block magnesium and nickel, and the combination thereof.

17. The manufacturing method for t isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 15, wherein the step of adding other elements is inserted between the step (a) and the step (b), that is, the elements M are added to let the alloy be the compound of Mg/Mg2Ni/M, the elements M are selected from the group of aluminum, iron, zirconium, titanium, copper, carbon, palladium, platinum, and cobalt.

18. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 15, wherein the steps of (a) to (e) are processed in the sealed melting crucible, which is full of protecting gas, the sealed melting crucible is exposed in the atmosphere.

19. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 15, wherein the step of a stirring can be added into the step of (b) and performed by way of mechanism, electromagnet, or the combination thereof, a stirring rod is off the liquid to prevent that the melting metals are solidified thereon after the mechanism finishes the stirring.

20. The manufacturing method for the isothermal evaporation casting process according to claim 18, wherein the protecting gas is selected from the group of the inert gas of argon, nitrogen, and SF6.