Abstract: The electrical conductivity of a wrought processed, high strength, age hardened Be—Cu alloy is enhanced by overaging the alloy in manufacture.

Abstract: A mold for use in die casting aluminum parts is made from an underaged Ni—Be alloy containing about 1.0 to 2.0 wt. % Be.

Abstract: The casting porosity of an unwrought casting made from an alloy having a large difference between its liquidus and solidus temperatures is reduced by subjecting the casting to hot isostatic pressing.

Abstract: A continuously cast copper ingot is made by a procedure in which turbulence is imparted to the metal/solid interface during the casting operation. The ingot is then hot worked to form a billet having a smaller average grain size and a larger diameter than possible in the past. The billet is especially useful for making electroplating anodes used in the damascene process for making copper interconnects in silicon wafers.

Abstract: A shot block for use in a die casting machine for die casting molten and semi-molten metal parts is formed from a metal or metal alloy having a thermal conductivity of at least about 25 Btu/ft.hr.° F., a Rockwell C hardness of at least about 25 and a 0.2% Yield Strength of at least about 90 ksi.

Abstract: An electrical connector made from a Be-Cu alloy can be crimped at room temperature without localized annealing of the crimp section first. Sufficient ductility and tensile strength are imparted to the alloy by cold working the alloy, after final solution annealing, by at least 40% in terms of area reduction and then overaging the alloy during age hardening.

Abstract: A fluid powered drilling motor adapted for drilling oil wells and other subterranean bore holes. The motor having a rotor and a stator wherein the iron content of the whole motor is less than 0.1% wt. In one embodiment the motor is made of an alloy having a base metal comprising one of copper, nickel, and aluminum plus about 0.05-10 wt % Beryllium. In another embodiment, the motor is made of either 15Ni-8SN—Cu or 9Ni-6Sn—Cu.

Abstract: Large sections of solution annealed, precipitation hardenable alloys which are resistant to internal cracking yet fully hardenable can be produced if, during rapid quenching, the temperature of the section is allowed to stabilize immediately above the alloy's solvus temperature before the section is rapidly quenched. Preferably, the temperature of the section is allowed to stabilize a second time, this time at an elevated temperature not so high that significant phase changes occur, before the section is cooled to ambient.

Abstract: An improved thin walled threaded spacer for use in preventing thread galling in adjacent sections of drill pipe in a drill string is formed by mechanically deforming a strip of copper/beryllium alloy containing 2% beryllium to form a preform having a hollow, truncated conical section and then mechanically deforming the conical section to impart helical grooves therein.

Abstract: A high strength cast aluminum-beryllium alloy including magnesium represented by the formula (25-60% Al)+(40-75% Be)+(0.1-1.25% Mg)+(0<X≦5%)+(0<Y≦4%)+(0<Z≦0.75%)=100, wherein: X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt and copper; Y is at least one element selected from the group consisting of silicon and silver; and Z is at least one element selected from the group consisting of iron, titanium, zirconium, boron, antimony, strontium, germanium, scandium and the rare earth elements.

Abstract: An alloy for making weld gun arm castings comprises about 0.35 to 0.8 wt. % Be, about 0.2 to 0.9 wt. % Co and about 1.5 to 2.4 wt. % Ni, with the balance being Cu and incidental impurities, the (Ni+Co)/Be ratio in the alloy being at least about 4.

Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present invention is the metamorphic processing of a beryllium-copper alloy. The alloy is (i) thermodynamically treated for greater than about 10 hours at a temperature generally within a range of 900° to 1500° F., (ii) warm worked at greater than about 30% strain at a strain rate {acute over (&egr;)} greater than or equal to about (2.210×107)/exp[(2.873×104)/(T+459.4°)], where T is in ° F., at the temperature, (iii) annealed at a temperature between 1375° and 1500° F. for about 15 minutes to about 3 hours, (iv) water quenched, and (v) thermal hardened at a temperature generally within a range of about 480° and 660° F. Grain size is reduced with concomitant improvements in ultimate strength, toughness, total elongation, % reduction in area and ultrasonic inspectability.

Abstract: A higher order beryllium-nickel-copper alloy a process for making the same, and an article of manufacture comprising the alloy, the alloy being represented by the formula (0.15-0.5% Be)+(0.40-1.25% Ni)+(0-0.25% Sn)+[0.06-1% Zr) and/or (0.06-1% Ti)], the balance copper, where the sum of % Zr and % Ti is generally within a range of 0.06% and 1%, the alloy being characterized by improved electrical conductivity, bend formability and stress relaxation resistance without sacrificing strength.

Abstract: The invention provides for a functionally-graded metal substrate that is made of at least two metal compositions, a functional insert and a surrounding body that surrounds the functional insert. In a preferred embodiment of the invention a functional insert powder composition of loose powder metal is placed in a compact of a surrounding body powder composition and both metal compositions are sintered in a sintering furnace to form a sintered part. The sintered part is infiltrated in part or in whole with a molten metal compound to produce a functionally graded metal substrate having a density of at least 90% of theoretical. A heat-generating component such as a chip can be attached to the metal substrate for use in microelectronic packaging. When the functionally-graded metal substrate has two discrete compositions of copper/tungsten the surrounding body which has a CTE that ranges from about 5.6ppm/.degree. C. to about 7 ppm/.degree. C.

Abstract: An actuator armset for a computer disk drive, the armset having a bore for rotating about a spindle of the disk drive to position a transducer radially across a disk of the drive, components of the armset including a body, a coil housing, a crash stop, and a plurality of actuator arms, each component comprising a selected amount of beryllium, the amount of beryllium selected for each component differing necessarily from that for the other components, such that maximum armset performance is provided at a relatively low cost.

Abstract: Disclosed is a practical aluminum-based alloy containing 1 to 99 weight percent beryllium and improved methods for the investment casting of net shape aluminum-beryllium alloy parts.

Abstract: A higher order beryllium-nickel-copper alloy a process for making the same, and an article of manufacture comprising the alloy, the alloy being represented by the formula (0.15-0.5% Be) +(0.40-1.25% Ni)+(0-0.25% Sn)+[(0.06-1% Zr) and/or (0.06-1% Ti)], the balance copper, where the sum of % Zr and % Ti is generally within a range of 0.06% and 1%, the alloy being characterized by improved electrical conductivity, bend formability and stress relaxation resistance without sacrificing strength.

Abstract: The process for producing net shape or near net shape metal parts is improved by sintering a compact in a reducing atmosphere where the compact contains a metal and chemically-bound oxygen in the form of a metal oxide, for example, and the chemically-bound oxygen is in an amount sufficient to improve the sintering of the compact. Improved sintering is facilitated when the metal oxide forms a metal/metal oxide eutectic during reduction of the chemically-bound oxygen in a reducing atmosphere during the sintering process. The compact can contain a metal oxide and a solution compound to produce an alloy part, provided the chemically-bound oxygen is present in an amount sufficient to improve sintering. In a preferred embodiment, the compact also contains a reinforcement compound and is sintered to make a metal matrix composite. The resultant density of the near net shape metal parts made by the improved sintering process is preferably about 97% or more of the theoretical density.

Abstract: A higher order beryllium-nickel-copper alloy a process for making the same, and an article of manufacture comprising the alloy, the alloy being represented by the formula (0.15-0.5% Be)+(0.40-1.25% Ni)+(0-0.25% Sn)+[(0.06-1% Zr) and/or (0.06-1% Ti)], the balance copper, where the sum of % Zr and % Ti is generally within a range of 0.06% and 1%, the alloy being characterized by improved electrical conductivity, bend formability and stress relaxation resistance without sacrificing strength.

Abstract: The sinterability of a copper/tungsten green compact is improved by using copper oxide, tungsten oxide or both as the copper and/or tungsten source. Sinterability is further enhanced by including steam in the sintering atmosphere. Spontaneous combustion of the source powders used to form the sintering compacts can be reduced or eliminated by including corrosion inhibitor in the powders.