US1847941A - Metal alloys and process of producing the same - Google Patents

Description

Patented Mar. 1, 1932 1,847,941

UNITED, STATES PATENT oi-"iuca METAL ALLOYS AND rnocnss F rnonueme m in Drawing. Application med January 22, 1926; serial are. 03,109.

This invention relates to improvements in with this indium coating is then heatalloys or intimate mixtures of metals hereined in a furnace at a temperature about after called alloys, for brevity, and to the melting point of the indium 5 processes of producing the same. This heat n is continued until the indium The alloy to which this invention has refhas been d1 used thru and therefore intlmateerence is one comprising, and referably conly mixed with the silver. The alloyor 1nt1- sisting of, silver and indium. uch alloy may mate mlxture is then removed from the furbe either raw material from which to make mace and allowed to c0ol. The heatin of the finished articles or be the coating of a plated ve w th th s Ind um coat ngi may con- 10 article. ducted in the presence of a hy rogen atmos- Preferably, the silver content will predomphe ev inate in the alloy and the indium content be n the productlon of the coating of a plated such as to render the surface of the alloy tarartlcle W proceed as follows: nish resistant; the silver content for sterling T e or base metal to be coated has 5 or coin silver standards for example, bein filSddGPOSltfBd upon itbyelectro-depos tion a about or more. coatin of silver; at coatlng ofindium is then The alloy may contain additional ingre- P to thls: fJ] a g, pr ferably, dients to the silver and indium, if desired for a y l t opos .Anothel coatmg certain purposes, but when tarnish resistf 511%! 18 coated y -deposlance is desired the added ingredient or ingretlon upon the indium coatmg. The base w1th 7o dients must be such as not to neutralize the thesethree coatings is then heated as before tarnish resisting or shielding action of the described 1n process 2: Silver is surface indium, I coated, as for example, by electro-deposition,-,

As above indicated, the alloy may be in the ith the desired. or required quantity of inform of raw material from which .to make dium, and the silver with this indium coat- 75 finished products, or it may be the coating mg is then heated in;a furnace. at a temperaof a plated article. In the production of the ture about the melting point of the indium former we may proceed according to the fol- (155 0.). This heating is continued until lowing methods or processes; the indium has been diflused thru and there- 30 1. We introduce into a quartz tube a prefore intimately mixed with the silver. The 60.

' determined quantity of silver and also a prealloy or intlmate mixture is then removed determined quantity of indium. The tube is from the furnace and allowed to cool. The evacuated and sealed 011', then the tube with heating of the silver with this indium coatcontents is heated in a furnace at a temperaing may be conducted in the presence of a 35 ture above the melting point of silver 960 hydrogen atmosphere. Such heating being 0.). The heating is continued until the two continued until the middle coating of indium metals are intimately mixed. The metals thus has been properly difiused thru the coatings mixed, or alloys, are then removed and perof silver. The plated article is then removed mitted to cool. The quantity of indium used from the furnace and subjected to the usual may vary from a fraction of 1% to 25% relafinishing processes of polishing, etc. tively to the total-silver and indium. The If desired the initial or first coating of quality of tarnish resistance of the alloy insilver may be omitted and the first coating creasing as the quantity of indium is inapplied to the base or base metalbeof indium creased. followed by a. coating of silver, but we prefer 4 Ijorsterhngor com standards the quantity to begin with an initial coating of silver. of indium used should not exceed 10% and it It will also be understood. that instead of may less. using acoating of silver, a coating of indium 2. Silver is surfacecoated, as for example, and a coating of silver or a coating or indium' byclectro deposition, with the desired or reand a coating of silver, additional alternating 1 0 quired quantity of indium, and the silver coatings of these two metalsmaybeused.

it What is claimed is:

1. An alloy or intimate mixture consisting of silver and a measurable amount of indium, with the silver content predominating.

5 2. Analloy or intimate mixture consisting of silver and a measurable amount of indium, with the silver content constituting about 90% or more of the combined silver and indium.

3. A tarnish-resisting alloy or intimate mixture comprising silver and indium, with the silver content predominating and the indium in sufiicient quantity to give protection to the alloy or mixture against tarnish.

4. A tarnish-resisting alloy or intimate mixture comprising silver and indium, with the silver content constituting about 90% or more of the combined silver and indium and with the indium in sufficient quantity to give 2 protection to the alloy or mixture against tarnish.

5. The process of producing an alloy or intimate mixture comprising silver and indium which consists in uniting layers of'silver and indium and difiusing the latter through the former at a suitable temperature.

6'. he process of producing an alloy or intimate mixture consisting of silver and indium which consists in uniting layers of silver and indium and then diffusing the latter through the former at "a suitable temperature.

7. I he process of producing a tarnish-resisting alloy or intimate mixture comprising silver and indium which consists in uniting layers of silver and indium and then diffusing the latter through the former at a suitable temperature. i 1

8. An alloy or intimate mixture consisting of silver and indium, with the silver content 40. predominating.

9.- A tarnish-resisting alloy or intimate mixture consisting of silver and indium, with the silver content predominating,

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

- DANIEL GRAY.

RICHARD O. BAILEY. I WILLIAM S. MURRAY.