Patents Assigned to Cezus
  • Patent number: 4874559
    Abstract: The invention concerns a process and an apparatus for maintaining a very thin film in an exchanger involving a flowing liquid film. The process wherein the liquid films are fed by gravity from a liquid source is characterised in that: each film is fed at the permanent flow (kd.sub.1) corresponding to the feed flow rate (d.sub.1) of the source; then for a short period of time the flow rate is increased to a transient value (kd.sub.2) for establishing a continuous film over the whole of the corresponding flow surface; then operation returns to the flow rate (kd.sub.1) for the film in question, the short periods of feeding the different films at their transient flow rates (kd.sub.2) being displaced in respect of time. The apparatus according to the invention comprises at the top of each flow tube a movable sleeve, lifting movement or rotary movement of which opens a supplementary communication between the liquid source and the tube, permitting the film flow rate to assume the transient value (kd.sub.2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: October 17, 1989
    Assignee: Compagnie Europenne Du Zirconium Cezus
    Inventor: Pierre Brun
  • Patent number: 4854977
    Abstract: The process according to the invention comprises the following stages:(a) an ingot of the following composition is produced (% by weight): Al 3.8 to 5.4, Sn 1.5 to 2.5, Zr 2.8 to 4.8, Mo 1.5 to 4.5, Cr<2.5 and Cr+V 1.5 to 4.5, Fe<2.0, Si<0.3, 0<0.15, the remainder being Ti and impurities;(b) the ingot undergoes hot working, comprising a rough-shaping and then a final working preceded by preheating in the beta range;(c) the blank of the part obtained is solid solution heat treated by maintaining it at a temperature 10.degree. to 40.degree. C. lower than its real "beta transus";(d) ageing for 4 to 12 h at between 550.degree. and 650.degree. C. is then carried out on the blank of the part or the part itself.The invention also relates to the process and the parts obtained under preferred conditions, said parts having in particular a good mechanical strength (Rm and R.sub.p0.2 respectively at least equal to 1200 and 1100 MPa), a good tenacity and a good creep resistance at 400.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: Compagnie Europeenne du Zirconium Cezus
    Inventors: Edouard Alheritiere, Bernard Prandi
  • Patent number: 4838933
    Abstract: Apparatus for melting and continuously casting metals, comprising a vertical, conductive cold crucible (1) with at least part of the height of its wall in the form of longitudinal sectors (2) which are electrically insulated from one another and have a cooling fluid running through them; an inductor (6) with coils helically surrounding the crucible (1) over part of its height and supplied with alternating current both for heating and confining the metal; a system for drawing down the ingot; and possibly a chamber with a controlled external atmosphere, separating at least the contents of the crucible (1) from the external atmosphere, characterized in that the crucible (1) has an upper zone (4) divided into sectors, with parallel vertical generating lines, and a lower zone (5) divided into sectors and joined to the upper zone (4), the generating lines of the lower zone spreading apart in a downward direction from the join (45) between the two zones (4 and (5), and that the lowest coil (60) of the inductor (6) i
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1989
    Assignee: Compagnie Europeenne Du Zirconium Cezus
    Inventors: Patrick Paillere, Edouard Alheritiere, Marcel Garnier, Jean Driole, Annie Gagnoud
  • Patent number: 4775428
    Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the production of a strip of Zircaloy 2 or 4 with an oxygen content of between 900 and 1600 ppm and with mechanical characteristics corresponding to the following three conditions:E.sub.0.2 at 315.degree.C..gtoreq.250 MPa`long` uniform A % at 20.degree.C..gtoreq.4 and`transverse` uniform A % at 20.degree. C..gtoreq.4,wherein, after hot working of an ingot to provide a billet, said billet is cold rolled to form a strip with intermediate annealing operations, characterized in that:(a) each of the last two intermediate annealing operations is a treatment of from 0.5 min to 10 min at between 750.degree. and 650.degree. C.,(b) the final heat treatment following the last rolling operation is for from 1.5 to 7 min at between 630.degree. and 590.degree. C., and(c) the strip is rolled with particular degrees of deformation for each of the last three rolling operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1988
    Assignee: Compagnie Europeenne du Zirconium Cezus
    Inventors: Gerard Bunel, Daniel Charquet, Max Dombre
  • Patent number: 4752331
    Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the production of metal Zr by means of molten Mg in a reactor (1) having a hearth plate (3), comprising separating the magnesium chloride formed in the reduction reaction from the metal Zr formed and the magnesium, then cooling, then extracting the sponge cake of metal Zr formed. The process is characterized by separating the magnesium chloride formed by tapping off towards the bottom of the reactor (1) by means of a chimney (6) whose bottom end portion (5) is fixed to an orifice (4) in the hearth plate (3) and whose transverse open top end (7) is above the portion of the metallic mass (Zr, Mg) which borders the chimney (6) at the end of the reduction reaction.The invention also concerns the corresponding apparatus for the production of metal zirconium.The invention provides a simplification in the operation of separating the MgCl.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1988
    Assignee: Compagnie Europeenne du Zirconium Cezus
    Inventors: Jean Boutin, Pierre Brun, Airy-Pierre Lamaze
  • Patent number: 4620463
    Abstract: Production of a substantially constant wall thickness in every cross section on cylindrical tubular parts produced for example by extrusion and rolling. The process of the invention comprises determining, by means of a suitable apparatus, the position of the center of the internal contour of a cross section of the tubular part, then rotating one with respect to the other a machining tool and the part about the axis of said internal contour and moving the machining tool towards the part until, over the periphery of said cross section, a constant wall thickness which is equal at most to the minimum thickness is obtained, and then repeating those operations on the successive desired sections of the tube, which are parallel to the first section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1986
    Assignee: Compagnie Europeenne du Zirconium Cezus
    Inventors: Laurent Horn, Jerome Hautdidier, Christian Soulet
  • Patent number: 4418556
    Abstract: Process and apparatus for expansion shaping of at least one localized region in a running portion of the wall of a tube of substantial length, wherein the distance between the expanded region and one of the ends of the tube is to be adjusted with precision; comprising disposing a die around the tube in the region to be shaped, the die comprising an expansion chamber between two cylindrical bearing surfaces, introducing a mandrel into the interior of the tube in the portion thereof which is within the die and delimiting an annular space between the mandrel and the tube, by two sealing regions disposed on respective sides of the expansion chamber at the location of the cylindrical bearing surfaces of the die, introducing a pressure fluid through the mandrel into the annular space, and increasing the pressure of the fluid until the tube becomes deformed against the walls of the expansion chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1983
    Assignee: Compagnie Europeenne du Zirconium Cezus
    Inventors: Serge Galle, Jerome Hautdidier, Christian Soulet