(19)
(11) EP 1 172 455 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
05.11.2003 Bulletin 2003/45

(43) Date of publication A2:
16.01.2002 Bulletin 2002/03

(21) Application number: 01117022.2

(22) Date of filing: 12.07.2001
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7C23C 8/36
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 12.07.2000 JP 2000211518

(71) Applicants:
  • OSAKA PREFECTURE
    Osaka-shi, Osaka (JP)
  • Tanaka Limited
    Sumiyoshi- ku, Osaka (JP)
  • SDC Incorporated
    Sakai-shi, Osaka (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Ishii, Eiichi
    Amagasaki-shi,Hyogo (JP)
  • Sone, Takumi
    Yao-shi, Osaka (JP)
  • Sato, Yukihiro
    Amagasaki-shi, Hyogo (JP)
  • Demizu, Kei
    Kawachinagano-shi, Osaka (JP)
  • Kakutani, Hideo
    Tondabayashi-shi, Osaka (JP)
  • Tanaka, Koichi
    Osaka (JP)
  • Tanaka, Shinichi
    Osaka (JP)
  • Tsuji, Noriyoshi
    Osakasayama-shi, Osaka (JP)

(74) Representative: Glawe, Delfs, Moll & Partner 
Patentanwälte Postfach 26 01 62
80058 München
80058 München (DE)

   


(54) Method of surface treatment of titanium metal


(57) A method of carburizing treatment is proposed in which if carburizing is carried out at a low temperature, carbon will not turn amorphose and deposit on the surface of a titanium metal but reliably penetrate into between metallic atoms. It is a method of surface treatment of a titanium metal comprising the steps of heating the titanium metal to a temperature of 400-690 °C in a cleaning gas atmosphere containing hydrogen gas, subjecting the surface of the titanium metal to cleaning by applying a DC voltage of 200-1500 V, and plasma carburizing in an atmosphere comprising a carburizing gas having the molar ratio of hydrogen atoms (H) to carbon atoms (C) adjusted to (H/C) ≦ 9 at a pressure of 13-400 Pa and a temperature of 400-690 °C . Ionization reaction in the gas is suppressed suitably. Because there exists no excessive carbon which is not used for carburization but turns soot or glass-like carbon, in the atmosphere during carburization, carburizing reaction progresses smoothly.





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