Abstract: Metal strip may be directly cast by deposit of a melt layer onto a chill surface. Quality of both the upper and lower surfaces of strip case in this manner may be substantially improved according to the invention by casting on a chill roll having fine, circumferential, surface grooving of a particular geometry.

Abstract: Metal strip 9 cast directly from the melt onto a cylindrical casting drum 20 is made more uniform in thickness and in structure by making the temperature of the casting surface more uniform. This is accomplished by a novel arrangement of coolant channels 25 beneath the casting surface 10. The channels generally run circumferentially around the casting surface 10, parallel to and spaced from adjacent channels. At least one coolant inlet 21 and one coolant outlet 22 supply and withdraw coolant to each channel. Inlets (21a, 21b) and outlets (22a and 22b) of adjacent channels are staggered circumferentially from the inlets and outlets of the adjacent channels so that the cooler regions around inlets are staggered to balance the temperature across and around the surface.

Abstract: A smooth roll skimmer 36 may be used in the casting of strip 34 by the melt drag process to provide gauge control and a smooth upper surface. Liquid melt 32 is cast on the moving chilled substrate 33 where it solidifies to a strip. The skimmer 36 is positioned above the substrate 33 and at a fixed gap therefrom by convenient means, e.g., by a rolling spacer 37 between the casting surface and the roll skimmer. The roll skimmer is not chilled and is not used to solidify the liquid. It meters and smooths the liquid prior to solidification on the substrate. A parting agent may be used on the roll skimmer to prevent sticking and to reduce heat transfer. A carbonaceous soot from a partially combusted hydrocarbon fuel is a useful parting agent.

Abstract: Crystalline solid solutions and diphasic mixtures having a composition of Ca.sub.1-x M.sub.x Zr.sub.4 P.sub.6 O.sub.24, where M is Ba and/or Sr and X is between about 0.25 and 0.75, have been produced which display both low anisotropy and near zero bulk thermal expansion behavior.

Abstract: A more uniform cooling system for direct strip forming processes on chilled drums wherein the drum 1 is hollow and is partially filled with a coolant pool 6. A central tube 7 provides coolant spray 8 to the portions of the drum interior when not covered with the coolant pool. Patterned cooling for thickness control is practiced by changing the heat conduction through the drum wall at selected locations.

Abstract: Net shape or near net shape metal rod or wire 3 is rapidly solidified. Molten metal 7 is delivered to a semi-cylindrical casting channel 2 in a chill block 1 from a tundish 4 through a critically-designed metering system comprising a drain 6, an orifice formed of the casting channel 2 and a complementary volume control channel 5, and a barrier 8 which directs molten metal to the volume-control orifice.

Abstract: A glass melting system involving preheating, precalcining, and prefluxing of batch materials prior to injection into a glass furnace. The precursors are heated by convection rather than by radiation in present furnaces. Upon injection into the furnace, batch materials are intimately coated with molten flux so as to undergo or at least begin the process of dissolution reaction prior to entering the melt pool.

Abstract: Metal strip 3 may be cast directly from molten metal in an open tundish 2 onto a chill roll 1. Strip thickness is controlled by contouring the tundish lip 14 with an offset 10 near the casting wheel. This can be used remedially to offset the natural tendency for the strip to be thicker near the edges, which is undesirable for cold rolling, or it may be used creatively to produce contoured strip.

Abstract: Nitrogen oxide pollutants are substantially reduced and sulfur dioxide minimized in multisolid fluidized beds by staged combustion of the fuel. The lower combustion region is operated at substoichiometric conditions such that NO.sub.x is reduced by carbon and carbon monoxide to nitrogen gas. The upper combustion region is operated at excess oxygen conditions to complete the combustion of char and carbon monoxide. Elevated temperature excursions in the upper region which deter sulfur capture are prevented by recycling cool entrained bed particles therethrough.

Abstract: This hard layer is obtained by incorporating a maximum of 2 weight % of nitrogen in Mo or W by the technique of cathode sputtering in a nitrogen reactive medium, the temperature at which the nitrogen incorporation occurs which is in the order of 300.degree. C. preventing the nitrogen to precipitate at the grains-joints during cooling, so that the layer only comports a cubic centered Mo or W phase, thus preserving its own ductility to the metal.

Abstract: An optical fiber disposed between a light source and a photodetector is subjected at a number of points, equispaced along its axis, to a transverse pressure causing a significant attenuation of the transmitted luminous radiation. The optimum spacing of the pressure points is a function of the radius of the fiber core and of the refractive indices of its core and its envelope. These pressure points are formed by turns of a substantially incompressible helix which is wound around the fiber and which may be constituted by an internal or external rib of a surrounding flexible sheath of similarly incompressible material. The pressure may be applied by a piezoelectrical transducer and may be modulated by an electrical signal to be picked up by the photodetector.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for continuous casting of amorphous or polycrystalline metal strip from a melt. The molten metal is delivered from a reservoir (2) to a moving chill surface, preferably a cylindrical roll (1) through an orifice (3) in the reservoir (2). The gap between the reservoir (2) and the chill surface (1) is not fixed as in prior methods but is variable due to a resilient bias on the reservoir toward the chill surface. A pivot (10) and counterweight (11) are convenient apparatus for resiliently biasing the reservoir. The small portion of the reservoir (2) therefore rides lightly upon the molten metal film delivered to the chill surface or upon the solidified metal strip. The variable gap allows better control over the process and better quality surfaces on the metal strip.

Abstract: An aspirator/nebulizer for use in inhalation therapy has dual oxygen nozzles extending into a cylindrical chamber into which air can be aspirated in a controlled manner via closable air holes. A 50 psig oxygen source can be diluted to atmospheric air to yield an oxygen/air mixture comprising less than 30% oxygen at the conventional patient flow rates of 30-60 liters per minute. The dual oxygen nozzles also allow pure oxygen to be delivered at rates of at least 40 liters per minute when such high flow rates of relatively pure oxygen are needed for short term therapy.

Abstract: Continuous chemical and biological reactions may be carried out in a liquid fluidized reactor (1). Improved mixing and mass transport between gas/liquid/solid phases is provided by fluidizing large particles (2) with a liquid in a dense bed in the bottom of the reactor (1) while recirculating small entrained particles (3) and the liquid through the reactor (1), particle separator (9), external regenerator (10) and conduits (7) and (8) back through the dense bed of large particles (2).

Abstract: A free flowing stream of molten metal is motioned to encounter a higher diameter and faster moving free flowing stream of a cooling liquid, such encounter resulting in the splitting of the molten metal into droplets. The droplets in contact with the cooling liquid and entrained therewith are allowed to solidify by cooling; optionally they may undergo further splitting before complete solidification by impingement upon a target arranged to intercept the course of the cooling stream.

Abstract: Monomeric collagen is oriented in solution and the orientation is retained in the resulting gel by setting up convective flow paths in the solution during gelation. The convection is induced by uniform peripheral heating of the cold, collagen solution in a small-diameter cylinder. Oriented collagen produced in this manner has excellent wet strength for use in implants for natural reconstruction of body collagen.

Abstract: This manufacturing process consists in forming a passivation layer on manganese pigments and thereafter mixing the latter with a resin to form a paint. This paint is electrically conductive since the passivation layer is based on chromate, Mn/Fe phosphate or Zn phosphate. These pigments preferably have a degree of purity equal to or greater than 99.9%.

Abstract: Disclosed is a structure of flexible tensile members which requires only two arrays of said members for obtaining lateral stiffness of said structure, the ends of each member being attached to contour elements and the members of each array having opposite curvatures for forming an axisymmetric geodesic network which is a section of a surface of revolution. The members of both arrays are prestressed and said network is geometrically arranged to be torque-balanced within said contour elements.

Abstract: High-strength aluminum alloys and other hot-short-sensitive alloys can be extruded at rapid rates through a cooled, double reduction die (3) without hot-short cracking or scoring caused by die pickup. A primary reduction die (4) has a long, cooled primary land (5) and is followed by a secondary reduction die (6). A metal billet (15) may be extruded through the primary die (4) at about the solidus temperature of its lowest melting phase, then cooled as it passes through the primary die land (5) to reduce or maintain the temperature below the solidus temperature and, finally, the primary extrusion is reduced in cross section in the secondary die (6) by about 2-50%. The temperature, the back pressure caused by the second reduction, and the low friction through the primary land (5) contribute to eliminate hot-short cracks and minimize serious pickup scoring at surprising rates of at least about 18 meters per minute (60 ft/min) for 2024 aluminum rod.

Abstract: Thin, pinhole-free, adherent, colored polymeric coatings and articles are produced by plasma polymerization followed by a heat treatment. The polymer precursor is mixed with a dye or pigment and shaped into a self-supporting thin article or applied to a substrate. The coating or article is then polymerized under plasma conditions created by an applied electrical field. Subsequent heat treatment further cures the polymer and makes the coating adherent to the substrate.