TWI645055B - Golf club head alloy and method for fabricating same - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf club head alloy and a manufacturing method thereof. The method for manufacturing a golf club head alloy includes the steps of: providing an alloy preform, the alloy preform comprising 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of zirconium and 77 to 99.9 parts by weight of titanium; and the alloy preform at 850 to 950 ° C A hot rolling process is performed to form the golf club head alloy, wherein a crystal phase composition of the golf club head alloy includes an equiaxed crystal dual phase structure, wherein the equiaxed crystal dual phase structure includes an α titanium phase and A β titanium phase.

Description

Golf club head alloy and manufacturing method thereof

The invention relates to an alloy and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, to a golf club head alloy and a manufacturing method thereof.

In the development of golf club heads, from the early solid club heads, the weight and strength were low. Nowadays, the use of metal materials can make the club heads stronger and stronger, and can reduce the weight and increase the success rate of shots. Density and high strength alloy. Metal materials can be matched with alloy elements through different processing methods, research and development applied to the manufacturing of heads, and even combined with non-metal composite design, etc., to create more controllable, accurate, long-distance and higher error tolerance The best golf equipment.

On the other hand, titanium alloys are also used in the field of golf club heads. In recent years, the design of titanium alloy club heads has gradually emphasized the development and design of club heads with high characteristic times, mainly by increasing the spring effect of the striking surface as the main design concept to increase the hitting distance.

However, as far as the materials of the existing titanium alloy club heads are concerned, no suitable material composition has been found to increase the spring effect of the striking surface, thereby increasing the hitting distance.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a golf club head alloy and a manufacturing method thereof to solve the problems existing in conventional technology.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a golf club head alloy, which uses a specific material composition and a specific temperature for hot rolling treatment to form a golf club head alloy with a low Young's coefficient to increase the golf ball. Pole The spring effect of the striking surface of the head further increases the hitting distance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf club head alloy having an equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure. The equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure includes an α titanium phase and a β titanium. The Young's coefficient of the golf club head alloy is reduced to increase the spring effect of the striking surface of the golf club head, thereby increasing the hitting distance.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a golf club head alloy, comprising the steps of: providing an alloy preform, the alloy preform comprising 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of zirconium and 77 to 99.9 parts by weight of titanium; And performing a hot rolling treatment on the alloy blank at 850 to 950 ° C. to form the golf club head alloy, wherein a crystal phase composition of the golf club head alloy includes an equiaxed crystal dual phase structure, wherein The axial crystal dual-phase structure includes an α titanium phase and a β titanium phase.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the alloy blank further includes an alpha titanium stabilizing material.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the α titanium stabilizing material includes 4.5 to 8.0 parts by weight of aluminum, greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.04 parts by weight of carbon, greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.04 parts by weight of nitrogen, and greater than zero and Less than or equal to 0.10 parts by weight of oxygen.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the alloy blank further includes a β- titanium stabilized material.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the β titanium stabilizing material includes vanadium, molybdenum, chromium, and iron, and the total weight of vanadium, molybdenum, chromium, and iron is between 5.0 and 7.0 parts by weight.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the β titanium stabilizing material includes 0.5 to 3.0 parts by weight of vanadium, 0.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of molybdenum, 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of chromium, and 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of iron.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a cooling step is further included after the hot rolling treatment step to cool the golf club head alloy to a room temperature, wherein the β titanium phase forms an α ′ phase when cooled. .

In order to achieve the above-mentioned another object, the present invention provides a golf club head alloy comprising: 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of zirconium; and 77 to 99.9 parts by weight of titanium, wherein a crystal phase composition of the golf club head alloy includes An equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure, wherein the equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure includes an α titanium phase and a β titanium phase.

In one embodiment of the present invention, it further includes: an α titanium stabilizing material, comprising 4.5 to 8.0 parts by weight of aluminum, greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.04 parts by weight of carbon, and greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.04 parts by weight of nitrogen And oxygen greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.10 parts by weight; and a beta titanium stabilizing material comprising 0.5 to 3.0 parts by weight of vanadium, 0.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of molybdenum, 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of chromium, and 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight Of iron.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a tensile strength of the golf club head alloy is between 1100 and 1250 MPa, and a Young's coefficient is between 80 and 100 GPa.

10‧‧‧Method

11‧‧‧ steps

12‧‧‧ steps

FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of a method for manufacturing a golf club head alloy according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2: Electron micrograph of a golf club head alloy prepared by the present invention.

Figure 3: Another electron micrograph of a golf club head alloy prepared by the present invention.

Figure 4: Still another electron micrograph of a golf club head alloy prepared by the present invention.

Figure 5: Another electron micrograph of a golf club head alloy prepared by the present invention.

Fig. 6: Another electron micrograph of a golf club head alloy prepared by the present invention.

In order to make the above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, the following describes the preferred embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings in detail, as follows. Furthermore, the directional terms mentioned in the present invention include, for example, top, bottom, top, bottom, front, back, left, right, inside, outside, side, periphery, center, horizontal, horizontal, vertical, vertical, axial, The radial direction, the uppermost layer, or the lowermost layer, etc., are only directions referring to the attached drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are used to explain and understand the present invention. It is not intended to limit the invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1, a method 10 for manufacturing a golf club head alloy according to an embodiment of the present invention mainly includes the following steps 11 to 12: providing an alloy blank material, the alloy blank material comprising 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of zirconium and 77 to 99.9 parts by weight of titanium; and a hot rolling treatment of the alloy blank at 850 to 950 ° C to form the golf club head alloy, wherein a crystal phase composition of the golf club head alloy includes an equiaxed Crystalline dual-phase structure, wherein the axial crystal dual-phase structure includes an α titanium phase and a β titanium phase. The present invention will detail the implementation details and principles of the above steps of the embodiment one by one in the following.

The method 10 for manufacturing a golf club head alloy according to the first embodiment of the present invention is firstly step 11: providing an alloy preform, the alloy preform comprising 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of zirconium and 77 to 99.9 parts by weight of titanium. In this step 11, mainly by adding zirconium in a specific range to the titanium matrix, the Young's coefficient of the golf club head alloy is reduced, so as to increase the spring effect of the striking surface of the golf club head, thereby increasing the hitting distance. .

The method 10 for manufacturing a golf club head alloy according to the first embodiment of the present invention is the last step 12: a hot rolling treatment is performed on the alloy blank at 850 to 950 ° C. to form the golf club head alloy, wherein the golf ball The crystalline phase composition of the head alloy includes an equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure, wherein the equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure includes an α titanium phase (the α titanium phase is a hexagonal closest packing (HCP) crystal structure) and a β titanium phase (The β- titanium phase has a BCC crystal structure). In this step 12, the hot rolling treatment in a specific temperature range is mainly performed to make the phase of the titanium matrix to form the above-mentioned equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure. Relevant experimental data and microscope images will be detailed in the following paragraphs.

It should be mentioned that the manufacturing method 10 of the golf club head alloy of the present invention is at least through the above-mentioned specific range of material composition (for example, titanium, zirconium and / or stabilizing materials described later) and / or at least through the above-mentioned specific temperature. The hot-rolled treatment of the golf club head alloy has a low Young's coefficient to increase the spring effect of the striking surface of the golf club head, thereby increasing the hitting distance.

On the other hand, the α titanium phase and the β titanium phase can be stabilized by adding a stabilizing material to the alloy base material. In an embodiment, the alloy blank may include an alpha titanium stabilizing material. For example, the alpha titanium stabilizing material includes 4.5 to 8.0 parts by weight of aluminum, greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.04 parts by weight of carbon, and greater than zero and less than or equal to Equal to 0.04 parts by weight of nitrogen and 0.10 parts by weight or less of oxygen. In another embodiment, the alloy base material may include a β titanium stabilizing material. For example, the β titanium stabilizing material includes vanadium, molybdenum, chromium, and iron, and the total weight of vanadium, molybdenum, chromium, and iron is between 5.0 and Between 7.0 parts by weight. In a specific example, the β titanium stabilizing material includes 0.5 to 3.0 parts by weight of vanadium, 0.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of molybdenum, 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of chromium, and 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of iron. It should be mentioned that the α-titanium stabilizing material and the β- titanium stabilizing material can also be added to the alloy blank at the same time, so that the α-titanium phase and the β- titanium phase are more stable.

In an embodiment, after step 12 of the hot rolling process, a cooling step is further included to cool the golf club head alloy to a room temperature, wherein the β titanium phase forms an α ′ phase when cooled. Specifically, the β titanium phase is a high-temperature phase, and when it is cooled, it forms an α 'phase (Matian powder) due to its own characteristics. For example, please refer to FIG. 2, which is an electron micrograph of a golf club head alloy prepared by the present invention. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the crystal phase composition of the golf club head alloy is a bi-equilibrium crystal structure of α titanium phase + β titanium phase, and has an α titanium phase region + α ′ titanium phase region.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 3, which is another electron micrograph of the golf club head alloy prepared by the present invention. The inventors further found that the α titanium phase in the golf club head alloy has subgrains (average particle diameter of about 0.8 to 1.2 microns), which can make the golf club head alloy have higher mechanical strength.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 4, which is another electron micrograph of the golf club head alloy prepared by the present invention. The inventor of the present case further found that in the α 'titanium phase region of the golf club head alloy (Asa Intermediate formed by cooling the β titanium phase), inverse grain boundaries can be observed (such as in the figure like a paperclip). The formation of inverse grain boundaries can reduce the Young's coefficient.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 5, which is another electron micrograph of the golf club head alloy prepared by the present invention. The inventor of the present case further found that in the α 'titanium phase region (the Asa powder formed by cooling the β titanium phase) in the golf club head alloy, the existence of the dual crystal Asa powder was observed. The formation of the dual crystal Asa powder can Golf club head alloys have high mechanical strength.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 6, which is another electron micrograph of the golf club head alloy prepared by the present invention. The inventors of the present invention further found that precipitation and formation of fine particles were observed in the α titanium phase region in the golf club head alloy (refer to the circle in FIG. 6). After analysis of the instrument, it was found that the fine particles were zirconia-rich precipitates of titanium-zirconium (Ti-Zr), so that the golf club head alloy could have a low Young's coefficient.

It should be mentioned that the above-mentioned reasons for the crystal phase and / or precipitates generated in the golf club head alloy are at least based on the material composition of the specific range of the present invention (for example, titanium, zirconium, and / or stability described later). Material) and / or at least formed by a hot rolling treatment at a specific temperature of the present invention. These crystal phases and / or precipitations can make golf club head alloys have low Young's coefficients and high mechanical properties, so as to increase the spring effect of the striking surface of the golf club head, thereby increasing the hitting distance.

In addition, it should be mentioned that the material range of the alloy blank used in the present invention has been strictly designed, and the specific description is as follows: Titanium element: titanium is added in an amount of 77 to 99.9 parts by weight (or wt%) as Matrix; Zirconium: Addition amount of 0.1 to 10.0 parts by weight (or wt%) can promote the formation of zirconium-rich precipitated phases and the formation of inverse grain boundaries, which is beneficial to reduce the Young's coefficient of the alloy; α titanium phase stabilization material: aluminum element : The added amount is designed to be 4.5 to 8.0 parts by weight (or wt%); carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen elements: In order to avoid the formation of the α2 phase (Ti ₃ Al), the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen elements of the present invention need to be low in content. Less than 0.04 parts by weight (or wt%), 0.04 parts by weight (or wt%), 0.10 parts by weight (or wt%); β titanium phase stable material: adding specific proportions of iron, chromium, molybdenum and vanadium elements to obtain The microstructure of the secondary grains further increases the strength of the material; in addition, after reaching the specific hot rolling conditions (850 to 950 ° C, for example, 900 ° C), an equiaxed crystal dual phase structure of α titanium phase + β titanium phase can be obtained In order to achieve the high strength characteristics of golf club head alloys, the total amount of the four elements of iron, chromium, molybdenum and vanadium of the present invention is strictly limited. Between 5.0 and 7.0 wt%, including: 0.5 to 3.0 parts by weight (or wt%) vanadium, 0.5 to 2.5 parts by weight (or wt%) molybdenum, 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight (or wt%) chromium, and 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight (or wt%) iron.

In another aspect of the invention, the invention proposes a golf club head alloy that can be processed to form a golf club head. The golf club head alloy includes 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of zirconium; and 77 to 99.9 parts by weight of titanium, wherein a crystal phase composition of the golf club head alloy includes an equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure, wherein the axial crystals The two-phase structure includes an α titanium phase and a β titanium phase. In one embodiment, the golf club head alloy further comprises: an alpha titanium stabilizing material, including 4.5 to 8.0 parts by weight of aluminum, greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.04 parts by weight of carbon, greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.04 Parts by weight of nitrogen and 0.10 parts by weight or less of oxygen; and a beta titanium stabilizing material comprising 0.5 to 3.0 parts by weight of vanadium, 0.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of molybdenum, 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of chromium, and 1.5 To 2.5 parts by weight of iron. In another embodiment, the golf club head alloy has a tensile strength between 1100 and 1250 MPa, and a Young's coefficient between 80 and 100 GPa.

In one embodiment, the golf club head alloy can be made by the method for manufacturing a golf club head alloy described in the previous paragraph.

Several examples and comparative examples will be given below to prove that the golf club head alloy prepared by the method for manufacturing a golf club head alloy according to the embodiment of the present invention has low Young's coefficient and high strength mechanical properties ( tensile strength).

Example 1

An alloy blank is provided, the alloy blank comprising 86.78 parts by weight of titanium, 2.8 parts by weight of zirconium, 5.1 parts by weight of aluminum, 0.03 parts by weight of carbon, 0.03 parts by weight of nitrogen, 0.06 parts by weight of oxygen, and 1.5 parts by weight Of chromium, 1.6 parts by weight of iron, 1.0 part by weight of vanadium, and 1.1 parts by weight of molybdenum. Next, a hot rolling treatment is performed on the alloy blank at 850 to 950 ° C. to form the golf club head alloy (for example, rolled into a sheet), wherein a crystal phase composition of the golf club head alloy includes first-class Axial crystal dual-phase structure, wherein the axial crystal dual-phase structure includes an α titanium phase and a β titanium phase.

Examples 2 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3

The manufacturing methods of Examples 2 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 are substantially the same as those of Example 1, but the proportions of the components used are different, as shown in Table 1 below (the unit of each component is parts by weight (or wt%)).

Next, Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were analyzed for mechanical properties. The analysis results are shown in Table 2 below.

From the analysis results in Table 2 above, Examples 1 to 6 do have a low Young's coefficient (between 80 and 100 GPa), a high tensile strength (between 1100 and 1250 MPa), and a high yield strength (between 1000 to 1050 MPa), and acceptable elongation. The mechanical properties of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 are high Young's coefficient, low tensile strength, and low yield strength, and the elongation of Comparative Examples 2 and 3 is too high, so Comparative Examples 1 to 3 do not meet the commercial golf club head alloys. Requirements.

Although the present invention has been disclosed in a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of protection shall be determined by the scope of the attached patent application.

Claims (4)

A method for manufacturing a golf club head alloy, comprising the steps of: providing an alloy preform, the alloy preform comprising 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of zirconium, 77 to 99.9 parts by weight of titanium, an alpha titanium stabilizing material, and a beta titanium Stabilizing material, wherein the α titanium stabilizing material comprises 4.5 to 8.0 parts by weight of aluminum, greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.04 parts by weight of carbon, greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.04 parts by weight of nitrogen, and greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.10 weight Part of oxygen, the beta titanium stabilizing material contains 0.5 to 3.0 parts by weight of vanadium, 0.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of molybdenum, 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of chromium, and 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of iron, and vanadium, molybdenum, chromium, and iron The total weight is between 5.0 and 7.0 parts by weight; and a hot rolling treatment is performed on the alloy blank at 850 to 950 ° C to form the golf club head alloy, wherein a crystal of the golf club head alloy The phase composition includes an equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure, wherein the equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure includes an α titanium phase and a β titanium phase, wherein the α titanium phase has a zirconium-rich precipitate of titanium-zirconium. The method for manufacturing a golf club head alloy according to item 1 of the patent application scope, further comprising a cooling step after the step of hot rolling to cool the golf club head alloy to a room temperature, wherein The β titanium phase forms an α 'phase when cooled, wherein the α' phase has a reverse grain boundary. A golf club head alloy comprising: 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of zirconium; 77 to 99.9 parts by weight of titanium, wherein a crystal phase composition of the golf club head alloy includes an equiaxed crystal dual-phase structure, wherein the axes The crystalline biphasic structure includes an α titanium phase and a β titanium phase, wherein the α titanium phase has titanium-zirconium-rich zirconium precipitates; an α titanium stable material containing 4.5 to 8.0 parts by weight of aluminum, greater than zero and less than Or greater than 0.04 parts by weight of carbon, greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.04 parts by weight of nitrogen, and greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.10 parts by weight of oxygen; and a beta titanium stabilizing material comprising 0.5 to 3.0 parts by weight of vanadium, 0.5 to The total weight of 2.5 parts by weight of molybdenum, 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of chromium and 1.5 to 2.5 parts by weight of iron and vanadium, molybdenum, chromium and iron is between 5.0 and 7.0 parts by weight. The golf club head alloy according to item 3 of the patent application scope, wherein the golf club head alloy has a tensile strength between 1100 and 1250 MPa and a Young's coefficient between 80 and 100 GPa.