Inventors:
Peter C. Lopez - Espanola NM
Patrick J. Rodriguez - Espanola NM
Ramiro A. Pereyra - Medanales NM
Assignee:
The Regents of the University of California - Los Alamos NM
International Classification:
C23C 864
Abstract:
Packed bed carburization of a tantalum or tantalum alloy object. A method for producing corrosion-resistant tantalum or tantalum alloy objects is described. The method includes the steps of placing the object in contact with a carburizing pack, heating the packed object in vacuum furnace to a temperature whereby carbon from the pack diffuses into the object forming grains with tantalum carbide along the grain boundaries, and etching the surface of the carburized object. This latter step removes tantalum carbides from the surface of the carburized tantalum object while leaving the tantalum carbide along the grain boundaries.
