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EP 1 844 176 B1 |
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EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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Mention of the grant of the patent: |
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06.04.2011 Bulletin 2011/14 |
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Date of filing: 02.09.2005 |
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International Patent Classification (IPC):
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International application number: |
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PCT/GB2005/003420 |
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International publication number: |
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WO 2006/024877 (09.03.2006 Gazette 2006/10) |
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PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COIN BLANKS
VERFAHREN ZUR HERSTELLUNG VON MÜNZROHLINGEN
PROCEDE DE FABRICATION D'EBAUCHES POUR PIECES DE MONNAIE
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Designated Contracting States: |
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AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE
SI SK TR |
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Priority: |
03.09.2004 GB 0419609
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Date of publication of application: |
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17.10.2007 Bulletin 2007/42 |
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Proprietor: DIFFUSION ALLOYS LIMITED |
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Hatfield,
Herts. AL9 5JW (GB) |
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Inventor: |
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- KEMPSTER, Adrian,
Diffusion Alloys Limited
Hatfield,
Herts AL9 5JW (GB)
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Representative: Gillard, Richard Edward |
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Elkington and Fife LLP
Thavies Inn House
3-4 Holborn Circus London EC1N 2HA London EC1N 2HA (GB) |
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References cited: :
EP-A- 0 828 011 GB-A- 862 282 SU-A1- 1 110 821
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GB-A- 764 779 GB-A- 902 841
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European
patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to
the European patent
granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall
not be deemed to
have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent
Convention).
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[0001] This invention relates to a process for the production of coin blanks and in particular
to the production of chromised coin blanks.
[0002] Stainless steel is used for coinage in several countries of the world. Whilst it
provides the coin blank with an acceptable corrosion resistance for this application,
the use of this material suffers from several disadvantages. Firstly, is a relatively
expensive material. Secondly, it is difficult to strike without causing excessive
die wear. Dies are expensive and contribute a significant cost to the overall cost
of the struck coinage. Thirdly, it is difficult to achieve good definition on the
struck coin and hence designs on stainless steel coin blanks tend to lack detail.
[0003] One alternative to stainless steel coin blanks is to use mild steel coin blanks which
have been electroplated with nickel. However, there are commercial disadvantages in
using this metal as well as environmental problems associated with the disposal of
the spent electroplating solutions.
[0004] It has been established in the past that chromised steel is a successful alternative
to stainless steel. There are several advantages to making coinage from chromised
steel. There is an economic benefit of only having the chromium at the surface (typically
20-50 µm) rather than through the complete section of the coin blank as would be the
case with stainless steel. The chromising process fully anneals the substrate steel
hence the blank can be struck without the high wear on the dies that is typically
seen when striking stainless steel. The chromised layer can be readily finished by
mechanical means to a satisfactory appearance when the coin is in the blank form.
The softness of the base material also allows intricate patterns to be applied to
the coin blank. This is not the case when striking stainless steel where the designs
have to be simple.
[0005] A common method of chromising steel is to pack the components to be chromised into
a retort with a chromising compound. A suitable retort is charged with a chromising
compound which contains the following ingredients: chromium metal powder, a diluent,
such as titania, alumina or magnesia, and an energiser which is typically an ammonium
halide. The components to be chromised are packed into this compound in layers. The
components must be surrounded by a sufficient amount of the chromising compound for
a satisfactory coating to be applied to the components and so that the individual
components do not touch one another or the wall of the retort. An appropriate atmosphere
is provided inside the retort to ensure that the chemical reactions proceed in the
desired manner. The retort is then loaded into a furnace and taken to an elevated
temperature, typically 1100°C, but not restricted to this temperature. This produces
an atmosphere of chromium halide by the reaction of the ammonium halide and the chromium
source material which then comes into contact with the component to be coated. When
the base material is a low-carbon steel the chromium deposits on the surface to form
a solid solution alloy of iron and chromium. Typically this layer will have 20-45
wt% of chromium at its surface and will be about 25-125 µm in depth. This will only
be the case if the steel is substantially free of carbon. The presence of greater
than 0.05 wt% of carbon will tend to result in the formation of a layer of chromium-iron
carbide on the surface of the solid solution coating. The components are held at the
above temperature for typically 6-18 hours depending on the size of the retort. After
soaking for this time at this temperature the retorts are removed from the furnace
and allowed to cool to ambient temperature. Such a process is known from
GB-A-764779.
[0006] However, this standard process has several disadvantages for the chromising of coin
blanks. In particular the chromising of coin blanks in large quantities is not practical
since hand packing the coin blanks into the chromising powder is labour intensive
and not economically viable. One solution which has been proposed is the use of robotic
packing although this too is problematic since careful control is needed to avoid
coin blanks coming into contact with one another in the retort. Also the distortion
that occurs to the retorts during continued firing renders the use of robotics difficult
as the robot must be able to detect different shapes for individual retorts. In practice
this is almost impossible without complicated and expensive control equipment.
[0007] There is therefore a requirement for an alternative, less costly way to produce coins
of this type.
[0008] Accordingly, the present invention provides a process for applying a diffusion coating
to steel coin blanks according to claim 1 comprising the steps of (i) charging a metallising
reactor with a plurality of coin blanks and a chromising compound comprising ferrochromium
granules and an energiser, (ii) heating the chromising compound to generate a chromising
vapour for deposition on to the coin blanks, and (iii) removing the coin blanks from
the reactor, wherein the reactor is rotating at a rate of 0.5-50 rpm.
[0009] This process allows the efficient diffusion coating of metal coin blanks with chromium
vapour without the associated disadvantages of previous processes.
[0010] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:
Fig. 1 shows a reactor for use in the present invention in (a) side elevation, (b)
end elevation and (c) plan view;
Fig. 2 is a graph showing the concentration of chromium and iron in a steel coin blank
coated using the process of the present invention;
Fig. 3 shows a metallographic section of a steel coin blank coated using the process
of the present invention; and
Fig. 4 shows the distribution of the chromised layer around a steel coin blank coated
using the process of the present invention.
[0011] This invention relates to a successful method of overcoming the disadvantages of
using the conventional method of pack chromising for this particular product. Use
is made of a rotary furnace into which the coin blanks may be introduced. Fig 1 shows
a suitable rotary furnace for use with the present invention in (a) side elevation,
(b) end elevation and (c) plan view. Fig 1 shows the rector 1 contained within a furnace
2. The furnace 2 typically employs a gas burner, but an electrical resistance heater
or induction heater may also be used. A motor 3 is attached to the reactor to rotate
the furnace. The furnace is typically rotated at a rate of 2 rpm (revolutions per
minute) but other speeds of rotation may be used. The rotation must not be too slow
in order to prevent the coin blanks adhering to one another. The minimum speed of
rotation is 0.5 rpm, preferably 1 rpm and most preferably 2 rpm. Also, the rotation
must not be too fast to avoid damaging the coin blanks and prevent the rotating furnace
becoming a hazard. The maximum speed of rotation is preferably 10 rpm, more preferably
20 rpm, more preferably 25 rpm and most preferably 50 rpm.
[0012] In the chromising process, a volatile chromium compound, usually a chromium halide,
is generated in situ by heating a chromising compound comprising ferrochromium granules
in the presence of an energiser and a refractory powder. The use of powdered chromium
or ferrochromium as the source material proved unsatisfactory as particulate adhesion
occurs during chromising which proved almost impossible to remove. Also the use of
chromium in the form of granules was also unsuccessful as during the chromising since
the chromium produced shards that then attached themselves strongly to the coin blanks.
The use of ferrochromium granules proved successful as in this form the metallic is
more ductile and is less lightly to splinter during the processing. The ferrochromium
granules may be any size provided they are sufficiently large to prevent particulate
adhesion to the coin blanks. Preferably they are 2-8 mm, most preferably 4-6 mm in
diameter.
[0013] The ferrochromium granules typically contain 40-80 wt% chromium, 0.05-2.5 wt% silicon
and 0.025-0.25 wt% carbon, the balance being iron and inevitable impurities.
[0014] The energizer used for the chromising process generally contains a halide element
such as bromide, chloride or fluoride. The preferred halides are of sodium, potassium
and ammonium, and ammonium chloride is particularly preferred.
[0015] In some cases it was noticed that after chromising the coin blanks were stuck together
due presumably to diffusion bonding. To eliminate this phenomenon, a refractory powder
is added. The refractory powder is preferably Al
2O
3 (alumina), TiO
2 (titania), MgO or Cr
2O
3. The most preferred refractory powder is alumina.
[0016] The chromising compound preferably comprises 15-90 wt%, more preferably 50-80 wt%,
of ferrochromium granules and 0.1-10 wt% %, more preferably 1-5 wt%, of an energiser,
the balance being made up by the refractory powder which should be present at at least
1 wt%, more preferably at least 5 wt%, more preferably at least 10 wt% and most preferably
at least 15 wt%.
[0017] The coin blanks are composed of steel, low-carbon steel having less than 0.25 wt%
carbon. The steel is preferably substantially free of carbon, i.e. sufficiently low
in carbon to avoid the formation of chromium carbide on the surface of the coin blank.
In addition, an interstitial free (IF) steel may be used, that is a low-carbon steel
which contains other metals which are able to bind to the carbon present in the steel
to form carbides. Such strong carbide formers are known in the art and include titanium,
niobium, tungsten, vanadium tantalum, chromium and molybdenum. These metals in the
steel can chemically bind to the interstitial carbon which therefore reduces any interaction
between this carbon and the diffusing chromium thereby avoiding the formation of chromium
carbides.
[0018] The formation of chromium carbides in the coating should be avoided for two important
reasons. Firstly, it is a hard and wear-resistant material and consequently if present
in the coating (either at the surface or within the coating) causes excessive die
wear when coin blanks are struck. Secondly, chromium carbide has a dull grey appearance
which would reduce the aesthetic properties of the chromised blank after finishing.
The use of chromised blank in titanium-stabilised steel (or any other carbide former-stabilised
steel) has commercial benefits also as they can be produced more cheaply than stainless
steel and the process of production does not have the environmental problems of producing
blanks electroplated with nickel. The materials used to apply the chromised layer
are all reusable whereas the spent electroplating solutions must be suitably treated
for disposal.
[0019] An example of a suitable steel for use as a coin blank is composed of:
- C
- 0.001-0.025 wt%
- Mn
- 0.05-0.35 wt%
- P
- 0.005-0.05% wt%
- S
- 0.005-0.05 wt%
- Si
- 0.004-0.1 wt%
- N
- 0.002-0.03 wt%
- Al
- 0.01-0.25 wt%
- Ti
- 0.004-0.1 wt%
- Nb
- 0.01-0.25 wt%
- Fe
- balance (the iron will contain inevitable impurities)
[0020] Clearly the size and shape of the coin blanks will depend on the size and shape of
the coin being produced. Typically the coin blank will be circular and have a diameter
of approximately 15-30 mm and a thickness of 1-4 mm.
[0021] The total weight of the coin blanks present is preferably 5-75 wt%, more preferably
5-50 wt% and most preferably 40-50 wt%, based on the total weight of the coin blanks
and chromising compound.
[0022] The coin blanks and the chromising compound (ferrochromium granules, energiser and
optionally refractory powder) are introduced into the reactor. The furnace temperature
is increased and the reactor contents are heated sufficiently to form a chromising
vapour which coats the coin blanks. The temperature is preferably 800-1150°C, preferably
950-1100°C and most preferably 1000°C. The furnace preferably reaches this temperature
over 10 min to 3 hours, more preferably over 1-1.5 hours. The temperature is held
at this value for a sufficient time to coat substantially all of the coin blanks.
For example 10 min to 12 hours, more preferably 30 min to 2 hours. After this time,
when the process is being run as a batch process the furnace may be switched off and
the coin blanks allowed to cool, for example to ambient temperature, for removal.
It is a simple matter to separate the coated coin blanks from the chromising medium
by using a suitably sized sieve.
[0023] During the chromising process the chromising compound should preferably be protected
from attack by atmospheric oxygen. Protection may involve an inert atmosphere, which
may be produced by ammonium salts present in the compound which decompose at elevated
temperatures. Alternatively, protection may be provided by a reducing atmosphere,
such as hydrogen or a hydrogen-containing gas mixture, such as a mixture hydrogen
and argon having 10% hydrogen or less, preferably 5% hydrogen or less, more preferably
1-5%, e.g. Hygon (5% hydrogen in argon).
[0024] As an alternative to the batch process, the plant may be automated to allow for the
continuous flow of coin blanks and chromising media through the furnace. When the
process is carried out as a continuous process, the reactor is adapted to move the
coin blanks from a first position where the coin blanks are charged into the reactor
to a second position where the coin blanks are removed from the reactor. This may
be achieved by an Archimedean screw within the reactor, or some other device for progressing
the coins and powder through the hot zone. In this case, the furnace is not switched
off but the coin blanks which have been coated are allowed to move into a cooler section
of the reactor prior to removal. The continuous process is particularly preferably
combined with inert atmosphere described hereinabove.
[0025] The present invention also includes a process for preparing coins comprising the
steps of preparing coin blanks using the method described herein, finishing and polishing
the coin blanks and then striking the coin blanks to provide a relief image on one
or both sides of the coin. The coin blanks are finished using physical or chemical
methods to remove any asperities from their surfaces, e.g. using a high-energy centrifuge
containing an abrasive compound. This is followed by polishing or burnishing of the
surface of the coin blanks again using physical or chemical methods, e.g. carrying
out a wash and rinse in the presence of ball bearings. Striking the coin blanks to
produce a relief image on one or more, normally both sides of the blanks, is achieved
in the case of the latter by impacting both sides of a coin blank simultaneously with
tool steel dies which have been produced so that they will impress on the coin blank
the specific design or pattern that is required. During this operation, the coin blank
is held within a collar that can be used to generate the knurled edge if required.
Examples
Example 1
[0026] The following components were charged into the coating retort:
[0027] A protective atmosphere of 5% hydrogen in argon was passed into the retort at 21/min
whilst the retort was rotating at 8 rpm. The furnace temperature was increased to
1000°C over 1-1.5 hours. The temperature was held at this value for 1 hour. After
this time the furnace was switched off and the argon/hydrogen gas flow increased to
101/min. Once the coin blanks had achieved ambient temperature they were removed from
the retort. It was a simple matter to separate them from the chromising medium by
using a suitably sized sieve. The coin blanks were bright and metallic in appearance
and were smooth and free of any adhering chromising media. Also, no coins were found
to be sticking together. On metallurgical examination the coin blanks were found to
have a chromium diffusion coating of 20-26 microns. The concentration of chromium
found in the diffusion coating is shown in Fig. 2.
[0028] The metallographic section shown in Fig. 3 revealed that there was no presence of
carbides within the chromised layer. The removal of the base material by etching in
20% nitric acid left the chromium diffusion coating free standing. This coating was
ductile and confirmed the absence of any significant carbide. The distribution of
the chromised layer around the coin blank is shown in Fig. 4. It can be seen that
the layer is uniform and is uninfluenced at end or edges of the blank. This compares
favourably to a coin blank which has been coated by nickel electroplating which tends
to give a coating thickness of two to three times the thickness on the edges of the
coin blanks compared to the centre of the faces of the coin blanks.
[0029] Coin blanks processed in the above manner may be finished to a high lustre and therefore
were satisfactory for producing coinage by striking the finished blank.
Example 2
[0030] The following components were charged into the coating retort:
[0031] The procedure of Example 1 was repeated. The resultant coin blanks were bright and
metallic in appearance and were smooth and free of any adhering chromising media.
Also, no coins were found to be sticking together. On metallurgical examination the
coin blanks were found to have a chromium diffusion coating of 20-25 microns. The
concentration of chromium found in the diffusion coating was 25.4-25.7 wt%.
[0032] Coin blanks processed in the above manner may be finished to a high lustre and therefore
were satisfactory for producing coinage by striking the finished blank.
Example 3
[0033] The coin blanks of the present invention may also be prepared in a continuous process.
In a continuous process, the following components are charged into a reactor via a
hopper:
[0034] A protective atmosphere of 5% hydrogen in argon is passed into the reactor at 2 1/min
whilst the reactor is rotating at 2 rpm and held at a temperature of 1000°C. The coin
blanks and chromising compound are introduced into one end of the reactor from a hopper.
The reactor has an internal spiral fin having a 2 inch (50.8 mm) pitch and 1 inch
(25.4 mm) upstand and the coin blanks are caused to move through the hot zone of the
reactor by the spiral fin over a period of 30 min. It is a simple matter to separate
the coin blanks from the chromising medium by using a suitably sized sieve as the
coin blanks are passed out of the other end of the reactor.
[0035] Coin blanks processed in the above manner may be finished to a high lustre and therefore
are satisfactory for producing coinage by striking the finished blank.
1. A process for applying a diffusion coating to coin blanks composed of steel having
a carbon content of less than 0.25 wt%, comprising the steps of (i) charging a metallising
reactor with a plurality of coin blanks and a chromising compound comprising ferrochromium
granules, an energiser and a refractive diluent, (ii) heating the chromising compound
to generate a chromising vapour for deposition on to the coin blanks, and (iii) removing
the coin blanks from the reactor, wherein the reactor is rotating at a rate of 0.5-50
rpm.
2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ferrochromium granules comprise 40-80
wt% chromium, 0.05-2.5 wt% silicon and 0.025-0.25 wt% carbon, the balance being iron
and inevitable impurities.
3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the ferrochromium granules have a diameter
of 2-8 mm.
4. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the energiser is a bromide, chloride
or fluoride of sodium, potassium or ammonium.
5. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the chromising compound further
comprises a refractory powder.
6. A process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the refractory powder is alumina.
7. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the coin blanks are composed
of an interstitial free steel.
8. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the chromising compound comprises
15-90 wt% of ferrochromium granules and 0.1-10 wt% of an energiser, the balance being
made up by the refractory powder which is present at at least 10 wt%.
9. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the total weight of the coin
blanks present is 5-75 wt% based on the total weight of the coin blanks and chromising
compound.
10. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the reactor is rotating a 1-10
rpm.
11. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the process is carried out as
a continuous process and the reactor is adapted to move the coin blanks from a first
position where the coin blanks are charged into the reactor to a second position where
the coin blanks are removed from the reactor.
12. A process as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising finishing and polishing
the coin blanks
13. A process for preparing coins comprising the steps of preparing coin blanks using
the method of claim 12, and then striking the coin blanks to provide a relief image
on one or both sides of the coin.
14. A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the edges of the coin blanks are knurled.
1. Prozess zum Auftragen einer Diffusionsbeschichtung auf Münzrohlinge bestehend aus
Stahl mit einem Kohlenstoffgehalt von unter 0,25 Gew.-%, umfassend die folgenden Schritte:
(i) Beladen eines Metallisierungsreaktors mit mehreren Münzrohlingen und einer Verchromungsverbindung
umfassend Ferrochromgranulat, ein Aktivierungsmittel und ein refraktives Verdünnungsmittel,
(ii) Erhitzen der Verchromungsverbindung, um einen Verchromungsdampf zur Abscheidung
auf den Münzrohlingen zu erzeugen, und (iii) Herausnehmen der Münzrohlinge aus dem
Reaktor, wobei sich der Reaktor mit einer Rate von 0,5 bis 50 min-1 dreht.
2. Prozess nach Anspruch 1, wobei das Ferrochromgranulat 40-80 Gew.-% Chrom, 0,05-2,5
Gew.-% Silizium und 0,025-0,25 Gew.-% Kohlenstoff umfassen, wobei der Rest Eisen und
unvermeidliche Verunreinigungen ist.
3. Prozess nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, wobei das Ferrochromgranulat einen Durchmesser von
2-8 mm aufweist.
4. Prozess nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei das Aktivierungsmittel ein Bromid,
Chlorid oder Fluorid von Natrium, Kalium oder Ammoniak ist.
5. Prozess nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei die Verchromungsverbindung weiterhin
ein feuerfestes Pulver umfasst.
6. Prozess nach Anspruch 5, wobei das feuerfeste Pulver Aluminiumoxid ist.
7. Prozess nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei die Münzrohlinge aus einem IF-Stahl
bestehen.
8. Prozess nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei die Verchromungsverbindung 15-90
Gew.-% Ferrochromgranulat und 0,1-10 Gew.-% eines Aktivierungsmittels umfaßt, wobei
der Rest aus dem feuerfesten Pulver besteht, das mit mindestens 10 Gew.-% vorliegt.
9. Prozess nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei das Gesamtgewicht der vorliegenden
Münzrohlinge 5-75 Gew.-% beträgt auf der Basis der Gesamtgewichts der Münzrohlinge
und der Verchromungsverbindung.
10. Prozess nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei sich der Reaktor mit 1 bis 10 min-1 dreht.
11. Prozess nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei der Prozess als ein kontinuierlicher
Prozess durchgeführt wird und der Reaktor dafür ausgelegt ist, die Münzrohlinge von
einer ersten Position, in der die Münzrohlinge in den Reaktor geladen werden, zu einer
zweiten Position zu bewegen, in der die Münzrohlinge aus dem Reaktor herausgenommen
werden.
12. Prozess nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, weiterhin umfassend die Fertigbearbeitung
und das Polieren der Münzrohlinge.
13. Prozess zum Herstellen von Münzen, umfassend die folgenden Schritte: Herstellen von
Münzrohlingen unter Verwendung des Verfahrens nach Anspruch 12 und dann Prägen der
Münzrohlinge, um auf einer oder beiden Seiten der Münze ein Reliefbild zu erhalten.
14. Prozess nach Anspruch 13, wobei die Kanten der Münzrohlinge gerändelt sind.
1. Procédé d'application d'un revêtement de diffusion sur des ébauches pour pièces de
monnaie composées d'acier dont la teneur en carbone est inférieure à 0,25 % en poids,
comportant les phases suivantes (i) le chargement d'un réacteur de métallisation avec
une pluralité d'ébauches pour pièces de monnaie et un composé de chromage contenant
des granulés de ferrochrome, un excitateur et un diluant de réfraction, (ii) le chauffage
du composé de chromage pour générer une vapeur de chromage pour une déposition sur
les ébauches pour pièces de monnaie, et (iii) l'enlèvement des ébauches pour pièces
de monnaie à partir du réacteur, le réacteur tournant à une vitesse de 0,5 à 50 tr/min.
2. Procédé selon la revendication 1, dans lequel les granulés de ferrochrome comportent
40 à 80 % en poids de ferrochrome, 0,05 à 2,5 % en poids de silicium et 0,025 à 0,25
% en poids de carbone, le reste étant du fer et des impuretés inévitables.
3. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel les granulés de ferrochrome ont
un diamètre de 2 à 8 mm.
4. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel l'excitateur
est un bromure, un chlorure ou un fluorure de sodium, de potassium ou d'ammonium.
5. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le composé
de chromage comporte en outre une poudre réfractaire.
6. Procédé selon la revendication 5, dans lequel la poudre réfractaire est de l'alumine.
7. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel les ébauches
pour pièces de monnaie sont composées d'acier sans interstitiels.
8. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le composé
de chromage comporte 15 à 90 % en poids de granulés de ferrochrome et 0,1 à 10 % en
poids d'un excitateur, le reste étant composé de poudre réfractaire qui est présente
à un taux d'au moins 10 % en poids.
9. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le poids
total des ébauches pour pièces de monnaie présentes est 5 à 75 % en poids basé sur
le poids total des ébauches pour pièces de monnaie et du composé de chromage.
10. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le réacteur
tourne à une vitesse de 1 à 10 tr/min.
11. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le procédé
est mis en oeuvre selon un procédé continu et le réacteur est adapté pour déplacer
les ébauches pour pièces de monnaie depuis une première position où les ébauches pour
pièces de monnaie sont chargées dans le réacteur jusqu'à une deuxième position où
les ébauches pour pièces de monnaie sont enlevées du réacteur.
12. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes comportant le finissage
et le polissage des ébauches pour pièces de monnaie,
13. Procédé pour préparer des ébauches comportant les phases consistant à préparer des
ébauches en utilisant le procédé de la revendication 12, puis à frapper les ébauches
pour fournir une image en relief sur une ou les deux faces de la pièce.
14. Procédé selon la revendication 13, dans lequel les bords des ébauches pour pièces
de monnaie sont moletés.
REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only.
It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has
been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and
the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.
Patent documents cited in the description