Abstract: A cast article is heat treated by vacuum annealing at an annealing temperature above the alpha/beta transition temperature of the cast article. Further, the cast article is subjected to a hot isostatic pressing step and a post-weld stress relief processing step. The vacuum annealing step is executed prior to the hot isostatic pressing step and the hot isostatic pressing step is executed prior to the post-weld stress relief processing step. The resulting impact resistance of the heat treated cast article, as measured by the Charpy test, represents an increase of approximately 50-200%, as compared to the untreated cast article. Further, even where the article is subjected to a post-HIP anneal the impact resistance increases by approximately 10-50%.

Abstract: A pump guard comprising a transparent, flexible, and resilient material including a shielding portion adapted to define a seal chamber in the proximity of a seal of a pump and a pump engaging portion substantially conforming to the shape of a guard engaging portion of said pump. The shielding portion deflects any fluid spraying or leaking from the seal. The pump guard 2 is of unitary construction, requires no mounting hardware, and is easily installable about the seal 16 to define a seal chamber.

Abstract: An adjustable ball valve assembly having a vertically tapered chamber and an adjustment mechanism is provided. The adjustable ball valve includes a vertically tapered chamber, a ball disposed within said chamber, a valve stem connected to said ball, seat members, which include a rigid, solid support frame encapsulated in a polymeric material, supporting and sealing the ball and having a vertical taper corresponding to the chamber taper, locking members to prevent horizontal or rotational movement of the seat members and an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the seat members vertically within the chamber. The seat members are encapsulated by means of an injection molding process. The process includes providing an injection mold having, among other features, pins which position the support frame to provide for even application of the polymeric material to the support frame.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for monitoring a rotor mounted for rotation by bearings within a stationary housing of an apparatus, such as a sealless pump. In a first embodiment, the monitoring apparatus includes at least one magnet mounted on the circumference of the rotor and a plurality of hall effect devices which sense magnetic flux density as the rotor rotates to generate signals representative of radial and axial bearing wear as well as signals representative of the direction of rotation of the rotor. In a further embodiment, the monitoring apparatus includes magnetic material mounted in one or more locations around the rotor or entirely around the rotor and a plurality of hall effect devices and associated magnets mounted within the stationary housing and surrounding the rotor.

Abstract: A filter leaf having a drainage member which is fabricated by combining a plurality of preforated and texturized sheets into a sandwich structure. The drainage member is covered in both sides by a pair of surface screens, and the entire assembly is secured together by a suitable frame.

Abstract: Hydrogel-bound aggregate lightweight building materials, such as blocks for use in replacement of lightweight concrete or extruded clay blocks, prepared by expanding and drying a foamable composition containing precursors for an alkali metal aluminosilicate hydrogel, fine grain particulate aggregates, and a viscosity-reducing agent sufficient to result in a starting slurry composition viscosity of less than 40,000 cps at a solids content of 70% by weight or greater.

Abstract: Cross flow diesel particulate traps are disclosed in which a cylindrical canister contains a plurality of individual ceramic trap elements. The canister is provided with inlet openings along one side and outlet openings along another side which respectively communicate with inlet and outlet spaces formed between individual ceramic trap elements. The traps are provided with inlet and outlet plenums which communicate with the respective canister openings for directing exhaust gases through the canister and for collecting the exhaust gases. In one embodiment, the inlet plenum is divided by partitions into zones and a diverter valve directs regeneration gases to selected zones canister regeneration. Ceramic trap elements are disclosed adapted for use in a diesel exhaust gas particulate trap formed with a disc-shaped body of open cell ceramic material with opposite faces terminated by partially surrounding peripheral walls which define inlet and outlet gaps at the respective sides of the element.

Abstract: The alkali metal content of unfired porous ceramic shapes is substantially reduced by treatment with water to remove excess alkali and treatment with a dilute aqueous solution of an ammonium salt, preferably ammonium chloride, to exchange ammonium ion for remaining alkali metal ion, such that, upon firing, porous ceramic articles are produced having improved stability in high temperature and/or temperature-cycled environments.

Abstract: A process for producing a porous ceramic filter for use in the filtering of particulates from diesel exhaust gases, and the filter so produced, in which a foamable ceramic composition based upon an aluminosilicate hydrogel binder is expanded into a self-supporting, open-celled porous body of desired shape by virtue of in situ reaction between components of the composition, and thereafter treated to substantially reduce its alkali metal content and fired to produce ceramic bonds, the process further preferably providing on the intended outlet surface of the filter a thin porous ceramic membrane layer whose pores have an average diameter less than that of the pores within and at other surfaces of the ceramic filter.

Abstract: Described herein are porous ceramic articles comprised of a porous ceramic body portion (of either predominantly open- or predominantly closed-cell porosity) having, integral with pre-selected surfaces thereof, a thin porous ceramic membrane layer which itself may be of open- or closed-celled porosity. Also described are methods of bringing about such membrane layers and such articles. The invention is particularly useful for providing porous ceramic filtering elements, such as diesel particulate traps, wherein the body portion has a predominant open-celled porosity and wherein the porous ceramic membrane surfaces also are open-celled porosity but whose pores are smaller than those of the body portion, as well as for providing articles such as kiln furniture having smooth porous ceramic membrane layers or skins on pre-selected surfaces.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a foamable, self-setting ceramic composition which can be poured into molds or injection-molded or extruded to achieve desired shapes, and thereafter fired to produce shaped, porous ceramic articles useful as filter elements, insulation, kiln furniture, molds furnace linings or other like articles, the composition containing agents capable of developing an aluminosilicate hydrogel and capable of generating gas to produce porosity within the hydrogel bound molded shape.

Abstract: Low mass kiln furniture for supporting ceramic ware during the firing thereof is provided having excellent thermal shock resistance and high temperature stability, the kiln furniture being comprised of a porous refractory ceramic body of low density prepared by the firing of a porous aluminosilicate-bound aggregate of refractory ceramic compounds, and wherein the ceramic body has on one or more of its surfaces a smooth skin in the form of an integral thin porous ceramic membrane layer.

Abstract: A low-noise plug valve is formed with a plug in which one side wall of the plug is a grid defined by a plurality of small openings therethrough, which openings lead from the through passage of the plug to a region outside the plug and which grid is movable into partial flow-blocking relation with respect to the valve body outlet, in partially open positions of the plug. The grid creates a back pressure which suppresses the flashing and the formation of cavitation bubbles. The grid openings, in the partially open position of the plug, are in substantial alignment with the direction of flow.

Abstract: A method for melting a charge of reactive metals or metal alloys is disclosed in which the charge is induction melted in a segmented crucible in the absence of insulating slag, under a non-reactive environment utilizing an induced alternating current.

Abstract: A lined pump is provided including a casing and cover assembly forming a chamber having an inlet and an outlet. The fluid contacted surfaces of the pump are lined with PFA resin. These linings may be formed by an injection or other suitable molding process and are restrained against undesirable movement by locking plates. The locking plates may take the form of perforated metal plates attached to the pump casing and cover through which the resin flows during molding so as to become embedded in areas of the liners and lock those areas in place. Proper placement of the locking plates provides both restrained and unrestrained liner areas which permit the dissipation of built up internal stresses in the resin material due to thermal and hydraulic forces. This avoids cracking and failure while preserving the dimensional stability of the liners.

Abstract: A plug valve which may be steam sterilized in place, without disassembly or removal from the system, is adapted for use in fermentation processes where the interior surfaces must be sterilized between batches. The plug is provided with internal steam passages which extend longitudinally of the plug and in non-intersecting relation to the through port. The plug casing, in one embodiment, is provided with an inlet for applying steam to the top of the plug for entrance into the steam passages and out the bottom of the plug and through a bottom opening in a casing. In another embodiment, steam may be applied through the bottom opening and into the plug passages, and a steam outlet is provided in the face of the plug through which steam may be extracted through one of the valve casing ports.

Abstract: PTFE is bonded directly to PTFE, and PTFE and related fluoropolymers are surface configured or molded, employing the differential expansion of the fluoropolymer to a confinement vessel or mold, and heating the same to fusion temperature and then cooling, creating a uniformly applied pressure on the polymer, followed by cooling while maintaining the pressure, at least during the initial cooling stages.

Abstract: Joining together two materials by a mechanical interlock resulting from "chips" at their interface is disclosed. The chips, composed of one of the two materials to be joined or of a third material are partially embedded into the surface of the first material when that material is formed so as to form surfaces which "overhang" the first material. Thereafter, the second material is formed against the overhanging surfaces of the chips to establish the mechanical interlock. This technique is particularly useful in anchoring a dissimilar material to a polymeric material having poor bondability and/or a high melt temperature, for example fluoropolymers, as illustrated by the forming of a liner for a pump casing, or the like, by rotational molding.

Abstract: A filter press comprises a main frame having upper side bars for movably supporting a plurality of plates in horizontally stacked relation. The plates are moved to open the filter press by plate transporting trolleys which are supported on the upper side bars. Light emitters are mounted at one end of the press on each side bar and light detectors are mounted at the opposite end of the press on each side bar and are aligned to receive light from the light emitters. Shutters are coupled to the plate transporting trolleys such that the light from the light emitters is normally blocked by the shutters. The shutters are opened for a brief period of time when the plate transporting trolleys are moved into engagement with one of the filter plates such that plate engagement signals are generated by the light detectors.

Abstract: Aggregate-containing products bonded by an aluminosilicate hydrogel are disclosed. A system of two-part mixing and blending of binder components with various granular-like aggregates, modifiers and/or fillers is described in which the resulting compositions are temporarily fluid and formable for short, controllable periods of time but which thereafter become strong, rigid, adherent, erosion resistant composites, requiring little or no external heat supply to achieve full set. The compositions can be formulated for molding on suitable forms or patterns, and may also be prepared in slurry form suitable for spray coating or sealing applications. A wide variety of products can be manufactured of the compositions, including investment molds and cores for foundry use, as well as non-foundry products such as heat and electrical insulators, construction blocks, panels, coating slurries, etc. which may be of essentially solid or foamed (cellular) construction.