Nanocarbide(tm) coating

Patented carbide alloy with abrasive and corrosion resistance properties, including long fatigue life, low brittleness and a highly uniform composition. Originally designed for medical implants, but useful for many non-medical applications.

High carbide content provides superior wear and abrasion properties. Unlike other high carbide alloys this material maintains strength, long fatigue life, lower brittleness, and very uniform composition. Facilitates machining and cutting and allows desired surface finish to be achieved

Coating performance: Hardness >900 Vickers at 300 gram load, porosity <3%

US Patents covering the technology: 7,771,775; 8,057,914; 8,187,660; 8,920534

Example Patent claim: Method of fabricating a material having a high concentration of a carbide constituent and utilizing said material to coat at least one surface of a medical implant component, said method comprising:

 adding a carbide source to cobalt chrome or an alloy thereof, in which a weight of the carbide source is at least approximately 50% of a total weight of the carbide source and the cobalt chrome or the alloy thereof;
heating the carbide source and the cobalt chrome or the alloy thereof to a predetermined temperature to melt the cobalt chrome or the alloy thereof and allow the carbide source to go into solution so as to form a molten homogeneous solution; and
impinging the molten homogeneous solution with a high pressure fluid so as to form spray atomized powder having carbide particles,
in which a size of a carbide particle in the atomized powder is approximately 900 nanometers or less.