Carbon disposed in inconel alloy metal lattices and metal lattices with high carbon loading
Inventive techniques for forming unique compositions of matter are disclosed, as well as various advantageous physical characteristics, and associated properties of the resultant materials. In particular, metal(s) (including various alloys, such as Inconel superalloys) are characterized by having carbon disposed within the metal lattice structure thereof. The carbon is primarily, or entirely, present at interstitial sites of the metal lattice, and may be present in amounts ranging from about 15 wt % to about 90 wt %. The carbon, moreover, forms non-polar covalent bonds with both metal atoms of the lattice and other carbon atoms present in the lattice. This facilitates substantially homogeneous dispersal of the carbon throughout the resultant material, conveying unique and advantageous properties such as strength-to-weight ratio, density, mechanical toughness, sheer strength, flex strength, hardness, anti-corrosiveness, electrical and/or thermal conductivity, etc. as described herein. In some approaches, the composition of matter may be powderized, or the powder may be pelletized.
1. A composition of matter, comprising: an alloy comprising:
at least about 40 mass % nickel;
at least about 14 mass % chromium; and
at least about 3 mass % iron; and
wherein the alloy is physically characterized by having carbon disposed in a metal lattice of the alloy; and
wherein at least some of the carbon is graphene.
2. The composition of matter as recited in claim 1 , wherein the carbon is disposed in interstitial sites of the metal lattice.
3. The composition of matter as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least some carbon atoms are covalently bonded to metal atoms of the metal lattice.
4. The composition of matter as recited in claim 3 , wherein the covalent bonds between the carbon atoms and the metal atoms comprise non-polar covalent bonds.
5. The composition of matter as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least some carbon atoms are covalently bonded to other carbon atoms disposed in the metal lattice.
6. The composition of matter as recited in claim 5 , wherein the covalent bonds between the carbon atoms comprise non-polar covalent bonds.
7. The composition of matter as recited in claim 1 , wherein the composition of matter substantially excludes polar covalent bonds.
8. The composition of matter as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal lattice substantially excludes ionic bonds.
9. The composition of matter as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal lattice is characterized by a carbon loading in a range from about 15 wt % to about 90 wt %.
10. The composition of matter as recited in claim 1 , wherein grain boundaries of the alloy are substantially free of carbon aggregates and/or agglomerates.
11. The composition of matter as recited in claim 1 , wherein the carbon is substantially homogeneously distributed throughout the metal lattice.
12. The composition of matter as recited in claim 1 , wherein a largest discernable feature size of the composition of matter is in a range from about 0.1 nm to about 1 μm.
13. The composition of matter as recited in claim 1 , wherein the carbon is present in an amount of at least about 1.5 wt %.
14. A composition of matter, comprising a metal lattice having at least about 15 wt % carbon disposed in the metal lattice; and wherein the metal lattice is characterized by a crystalline structure selected from face centered cubic (FCC), body-centered cubic (BCC), and hexagonal close packed (HCP).
15. The composition of matter as recited in claim 14 , wherein at least some of the carbon is disposed at interstitial sites of the metal lattice.
16. The composition of matter as recited in claim 14 , wherein grain boundaries of the composition of matter are substantially devoid of carbon aggregate(s) and/or agglomerate(s).
17. The composition of matter as recited in claim 14 , wherein metal lattice comprises one or more metals selected from the group consisting of: nickel, chromium, aluminum, copper, iron, titanium, tantalum, tungsten, molybdenum, cobalt, manganese, niobium, and alloys thereof.
18. The composition of matter as recited in claim 17 , wherein the one or more metals are present in the form of a superalloy.
19. The composition of matter as recited in claim 14 , wherein at least some carbon atoms are covalently bonded to metal atoms of the metal lattice.
20. The composition of matter as recited in claim 19 , wherein the covalent bonds between the carbon atoms and the metal atoms comprise non-polar covalent bonds.
21. The composition of matter as recited in claim 14 , wherein at least some carbon atoms are covalently bonded to other carbon atoms disposed in the metal lattice.
22. The composition of matter as recited in claim 21 , wherein the covalent bonds between the carbon atoms comprise non-polar covalent bonds.
23. The composition of matter as recited in claim 14 , wherein the composition of matter substantially excludes polar covalent bonds.
24. The composition of matter as recited in claim 14 , wherein the metal lattice substantially excludes ionic bonds.
25. The composition of matter as recited in claim 14 , wherein the carbon is substantially homogeneously distributed throughout the metal lattice.
26. The composition of matter as recited in claim 14 , wherein a largest discernable feature size of the composition of matter is in a range from about 0.1 nm to about 1 μm.
27. A composition of matter, comprising: an alloy comprising:
at least about 40 mass % nickel;
at least about 14 mass % chromium; and
at least about 3 mass % iron; and
wherein the alloy is physically characterized by having carbon disposed in a metal lattice of the alloy; and
wherein at least some of the carbon is covalently bonded to metal atoms of the metal lattice.