US 11,987,869 B2
Method for manufacturing alloys of precious metals and alloys of precious metals thus obtained
Csilla Miko, Essertines-sur-Yverdon (CH); Rémi Grosjean, Bienne (CH); and Jean-Luc Bazin, Tuscherz-Alfermee (CH)
Assigned to The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd, Marin (CH)
Appl. No. 17/273,918
Filed by The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd, Marin (CH)
PCT Filed Jul. 17, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/070283
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 5, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/009349, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 21, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19187108 (EP), filed on Jul. 18, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0331241 A1, Oct. 28, 2021
Int. Cl. C22C 5/02 (2006.01); B22F 1/00 (2022.01); B22F 1/05 (2022.01); B22F 1/052 (2022.01); B22F 1/102 (2022.01); B22F 9/24 (2006.01); B28B 1/00 (2006.01); B28B 11/24 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/10 (2020.01); B33Y 70/00 (2020.01); C01B 35/04 (2006.01); C22C 29/14 (2006.01); B22F 10/14 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01)
CPC C22C 5/02 (2013.01) [B22F 1/05 (2022.01); B22F 1/052 (2022.01); B22F 1/09 (2022.01); B22F 1/102 (2022.01); B22F 9/24 (2013.01); B28B 1/001 (2013.01); B28B 11/243 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/10 (2020.01); B33Y 70/00 (2014.12); C01B 35/04 (2013.01); C22C 29/14 (2013.01); B22F 10/14 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 2301/255 (2013.01); B22F 2302/05 (2013.01); B22F 2304/10 (2013.01); C01P 2004/50 (2013.01)] 5 Claims
 
1. A method for manufacturing a powder of alloy of a boride of a precious metal from the precious metal and from boron, the method comprising:
mixing a source of the boron, a source of the precious metal, and salt(s) in the solid state to obtain a mixture;
heating the mixture to a temperature between 100 and 1000° C. to react the source of the boron and the source of the precious metal in order to obtain the metal boride of the precious metal to obtain a heated mixture;
cooling the heated mixture;
separating solidified salt(s) from the boride of the precious metal, the boride of the precious metal being in form of the powder including aggregates formed by crystalline nanoparticles of the boride of the precious metal, MxBy, distributed in a matrix of amorphous boron B, a y/x ratio of the crystalline nanoparticles being greater than or equal to 1,
wherein the precious metal is selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, and iridium,
wherein the source of the precious metal is selected from the group selected from a sulfate, carbonate, acetate, nitrate, acetylacetonate, or mixture of two or more of any of these, of the precious metal, and
wherein the method comprises reacting the source of the precious metal with the source of the boron in the salt(s) in molten state.