Method for producing hard surfaced titanium

Claim 1

THE METHOD FOR FORMING A HARD SURFACE UPON A SELECTED PORTION OF AN ARTICLE COMPRISING ESSENTIALLY TITANIUM WHICH COMPRISES APPLYING TO SAID PORTION A MATERIAL CAPABLE OF FORMING A MOLTEN ALLOY CONTAINING SOLID FINELY DIVIDED HARD PARTICLES OF A METAL COMPOUND WHEN HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SAID ARTICLE, SAID ALLOY COMPRISING TITANIUM AND A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COPPER, NICKEL, COBALT, SILVER AND MIXTURES THEREOF, THEREAFTER HEATING SAID ARTICLE IN AN INERT ATMOSPHERE TO CAUSE A MOLTEN LAYER OF SAID ALLOY CONTAINING SAID HARD PARTICLES TO SPREAD OVER SAID SELECTED PORTION, THE AMOUNT OF SAID MOLTEN ALLOY BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT REQUIRED TO COAT SAID HARD PARTICLES COMPLETELY, THEREAFTER HEATING THE ARTICLE ABOVE THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SAID ALLOY BUT BELOW THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SAID ARTICLE THEREBY CAUSING SAID METAL TO DIFFUSE FROM SAID LAYER INTO SAID ARTICLE AND DRAW SAID HARD PARTICLES TOGETHER MORE COMPACTLY BY THE FORCE OF CAPILLARY ACTION, AND THEN HEATING SAID ARTICLE BELOW THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SAID ARTICLE UNTIL A DESIRED AMOUNT OF SAID METAL HAS DIFFUSED INTO SAID ARTICLE, SAID HARD PARTICLES OF A METAL COMPOUND BEING THERMALLY STABLE AT THE TEMPERATURE EMPLOYED AND BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METAL CARBIDES, METAL NITRIDES AND MIXTURES THEREOF.

Claim 2

THE METHOD FOR FORMING A HARD SURFACE UPON A SELECTED PORTION OF AN ARTICLE COMPRISING ESSENTIALLY TITANIUM WHICH COMPRISES APPLYING TO SAID PORTION A MATERIAL CAPABLE OF FORMING A MOLTEN ALLOY CONTAINING SOLID FINELY DIVIDED HARD PARTICLES OF A METAL COMPOUND WHEN HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SAID ARTICLE, SAID ALLOY COMPRISING TITANIUM AND A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COPPER, NICKEL, COBALT, SILVER AND MIXTURES THEREOF, THEREAFTER HEATING SAID ARTICLE IN AN INERT ATMOSPHERE TO CAUSE A MOLTEN LAYER OF SAID ALLOY CONTAINING SAID HARD PARTICLES TO SPREAD OVER SAID SELECTED PORTION, THE AMOUNT OF SAID MOLTEN ALLOY BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF THE AMOUNT REQUIRED TO COAT SAID HARD PARTICLES COMPLETELY, THEREAFTER HEATING THE ARTICLE ABOVE THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SAID ALLOY BUT BELOW THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SAID ARTICLE THEREBY CAUSING SAID METAL TO DIFFUSE FROM SAID LAYER INTO SAID ARTICLE AND DRAW SAID HARD PARTICLES TOGETHER MORE COMPACTLY BY THE FORCE OF CAPILLARY ACTION, AND THEN HEATING SAID ARTICLE BELOW THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SAID ARTICLE UNTIL A DESIRED AMOUNT OF SAID METAL HAS DIFFUSED INTO SAID ARTICLE, SAID HARD PARTICLES OF A METAL COMPOUND BEING THERMALLY STABLE AT THE TEMPERATURE EMPLOYED AND BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METAL CARBIDES, METAL NITRIDES AND MIXTURES THEREOF.