Patents Examined by John Sheehan
  • Patent number: 6544353
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating a liquid gallium or gallium alloy surface for prolonged use as a liquid mirror. The method of the invention comprises the steps of (a) contacting the surface of liquid gallium or gallium alloy with an aqueous solution of a halogenic acid to cause dissolution of any gallium oxide present on the surface, thereby obtaining an oxide-free liquid gallium or gallium alloy surface covered with a layer of the acid solution; (b) adding to the acid solution an aqueous solution of a surfactant present in an amount to form a single bimolecular layer of surfactant at an interface between the liquid gallium or gallium alloy and water; and (c) allowing a uniform passivating oxide layer to gradually form on the oxide-free liquid gallium or gallium alloy surface, the passivating oxide layer having surface irregularities smaller than 40 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Universite Laval
    Inventors: Laurent Bonneviot, Ermanno F. Borra
  • Patent number: 6540843
    Abstract: A method of coating a catalyst layer on a metallic substrate includes preparing a metal oxide and binder slurry to coat onto a metal surface and forming a catalytic layer over the slurry coated surface. The slurry may be made from a binder containing, for example, fully dissolved alumina in the presence of excess nitric acid. The binder may then be mixed with a metal oxide mixture to form the metal oxide-binder slurry. The metal oxide mixture may contain aluminum oxide or partially hydrated aluminum oxide. The metal oxide-binder slurry can be used to coat the surfaces of a variety of metals such as aluminum, titanium, nickel, cobalt, chromium, iron, copper, etc., or their alloys that include brass, as well as stainless steel with or without Al as a component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Di-Jia Liu, Daniel R. Winstead, Norman Van Den Bussche
  • Patent number: 6540844
    Abstract: A method for forming a sol-gel on a metal surface to provide an interface for promoting adhesion between the metal surface and an organic resin involves application of at least one metal alkoxide compound having at least one labile sulfur atom, and at least one metal alkoxide compound having at least one reactive moiety which is capable of bonding with an organic resin. The metal alkoxide compound having at least one labile sulfur atom is capable of bonding to various metal surfaces, including surfaces of noble metals, such as gold, by a sulfur-metal linkage with the metal surface. The metal alkoxide compound having at least one labile sulfur atom reacts with the metal alkoxide compound having at least one reactive moiety which is capable of bonding with the organic resin to form a sol-gel which bonds to the surface of the metal, and which includes reactive moieties which are capable of bonding with an organic resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Russell A. Crook
  • Patent number: 6537387
    Abstract: A process for the corrosion protection of steel strips coated with zinc or zinc alloy, characterised in that the steel strips coated with zinc or zinc alloy are brought into contact with an aqueous treatment solution having a pH within the range of from 1.5 to 3.5, which contains 1 to 20 g/l manganese(II) ions and 1 to 150 g/l phosphate ions, and the solution is dried without intermediate rinsing. Optionally the solution may contain in addition: up to 10 g/l zinc ions, up to 10 g/l nickel ions, up to 20 g/l titanium ions, up to 50 g/l silicon ions in the form of silicon compounds, up to 30 g/l fluoride ions, up to 150 g/l of one or more polymers or copolymers of polymerisable carboxylic acids selected from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and maleic acid, and esters thereof with alcohols having 1 to 6 carbon atoms. The present invention also relates to the correspondingly-treated metal strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien
    Inventor: Joerg Riesop
  • Patent number: 6537388
    Abstract: Chromium, silicon, aluminum, and optionally manganese are diffused onto the surface of a high temperature alloy product, to provide a coating having improved resistance to carburization and catalytic coke formation and smoother surfaces for high temperature hydrocarbon environments. Preferably, a first layer of chromium or chromium and silicon is deposited and diffusion heat-treated and covered by the second layer of aluminum or aluminum-silicon. The inner layer contains a minimum of 8 weight percent chromium above that contained in the substrate alloy. The outer layer contains a minimum of 20 weight percent aluminum at the coating surface. The coating system is then aged to yield the improved coating that has 60 to 90 weight percent chromium at the surface. Each layer or the combination of layers is diffusion heat treated to cause a diffusion depth ranging from 0.006 inch (0.1524 millimeter) to 0.030 inch (0.762 millimeter) with targeted 0.012 inch (0.3048 millimeter) to 0.015 inch (0.3810 millimeter).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Alon, Inc.
    Inventors: Kim A. Wynns, George T. Bayer
  • Patent number: 6536507
    Abstract: A cooling roll (5) for producing magnet materials, comprising a roll base material (51) and a surface layer (52) covering the outer periphery of the material, wherein the roll base material (51) is preferably formed of a metal material of a high heat conductivity, and the surface layer (52) is formed of a material lower in heat conductivity than the roll base material (51) and preferably formed of ceramics. The surface layer (52) satisfies the relation, 1.01≦Tmax/Tmin≦3, where Tmax is the maximum thickness of the surface layer (52), and Tmin the minimum thickness. The peripheral surface (511) of the roll base material (51) has a surface roughness Ra of 0.03 to 8 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Arai, Hiroshi Kato
  • Patent number: 6531001
    Abstract: Non-oriented magnetic steel sheets, which are mainly used as materials for iron cores for use in electric apparatuses, have a low iron loss and a high magnetic flux density at the same time. The non-oriented magnetic steel sheet comprises from about 1.5 to about 8.0 weight % Si, from about 0.005 to about 2.50 weight % Mn, and not more than about 50 ppm each of C, S, N, O, and B, in which a crystal orientation parameter <&Ggr;> is 0.200 or less. In addition, the average crystal grain diameter is preferably from about 50 to about 500 &mgr;m, and an areal ratio of crystal grains on a surface of the steel sheet is preferably 20% and less, in which crystal plane orientations of the crystal grains are within 15° from the <111> axis. In addition, the non-oriented magnetic steel sheet preferably contains small amounts of elements such as Al, Sb, Ni, Sn, Cu, P, and Cr. The manufacturing method for the non-oriented magnetic steel is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Kawasaki Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Hayakawa, Mitsumasa Kurosawa, Masaki Kawano, Michiro Komatsubara, Yuka Komori, Kazuaki Tamura
  • Patent number: 6531000
    Abstract: The present invention provides a rolling bearing in which an oxide layer of an iron/chromium oxide series is formed at a thickness of from 1 to 1000 nm to at least one of raceway surfaces of bearing rings or rolling contact surfaces of rolling elements and a manufacturing method thereof. The oxide layer can inhibit hydrogen formed by decomposition of water incorporated in the lubricants from intruding into the matrix of the bearing members, thereby preventing early peeling for the raceway surfaces of the bearing rings or the rolling contact surfaces of the rolling elements and, thus, greatly improving the rolling life. The oxide layer can be formed simply by merely tempering the bearing member and then applying a re-heating treatment in air at a temperature lower than the tempering temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromichi Takemura, Yasuo Murakami, Youichi Matumoto, Seiji Sato
  • Patent number: 6527822
    Abstract: Disclosed is a novel thin ribbon of a rare earth/iron/boron-based magnet alloy prepared by quenching of an alloy melt by the method of strip casting, from which a sintered permanent magnet is obtained by the powder metallurgical method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Hirota, Takehisa Minowa, Takahiro Hashimoto, Koji Sato, Kenji Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 6527875
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a magnetic powder which can provide a magnet having excellent magnetic properties and having excellent reliability especially excellent stability. The magnetic powder is composed of an alloy composition represented by Rx(Fe1−yCoy)100−x−z−wBzAlw (where R is at least one kind of rare-earth element, x is 7.1-9.9 at %, y is 0-0.30, z is 4.6-6.9 at %, and w is 0.02-1.5 at %), the magnetic powder being constituted from a composite structure having a soft magnetic phase and a hard magnetic phase, wherein the magnetic powder has magnetic properties characterized in that, when the magnetic powder is formed into an isotropic bonded magnet having a density &rgr;[Mg/M3] by mixing with a binding resin and then molding it, the remanent magnetic flux density Br[T] at the room temperature satisfies the relationship represented by the formula of Br/&rgr;[x10−6T·m3/g]≧0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Arai, Hiroshi Kato
  • Patent number: 6527876
    Abstract: A silicon steel sheet having low iron loss of high frequency has a surface layer of the steel sheet which has Si concentration higher than Si concentration of a center portion of the steel sheet. Si concentration of sheet thickness center is 3.4 wt. % or more and Si concentration of the surface layer of the steel sheet is 5 wt. % or more. Si concentration in a surface layer portion is 5 to 8 wt. %. The production method comprises siliconizing treatment and diffusing treatment. Velocity of siliconizing and diffusing are controlled, and Si concentration distribution in the sheet thickness direction of the steel sheet is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: NKK Corporation
    Inventors: Misao Namikawa, Yoshikazu Takada, Shoji Kasai, Hironori Ninomiya, Tsunehiro Yamaji, Tatsuhiko Hiratani
  • Patent number: 6527874
    Abstract: A rapidly solidified alloy is produced by quenching and solidifying a melt of an alloy having a general formula represented by (Fe1-mTm)100-x-y-zQxRyMz where T denotes at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Co and Ni, Q denotes at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of B and C, R denotes at least one kind of rare earth element, and M denotes at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of Nb and Mo, and the mole fractions x, y, z, and m respectively satisfy 2≦x≦28 (atom %), 8≦y≦30 (atom %), 0.1 ≦z<1.0 (atom %), and 0≦m≦0.5 (atom %). The rapidly solidified alloy is then pulverized and sintered to manufacture a rare earth permanent magnet. The cooling rate is controlled to be in the range of 102 K/sec to 104 K/sec, so that the alloy structure is uniformly fine and the added element M is uniformly dispersed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Special Metals Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Gang Li
  • Patent number: 6524400
    Abstract: A process for the production of grain-oriented electric quality sheet by melting a silicon steel and casting the melt continuously into a strand having a thickness of 25-100 mm. During solidification the strand is cooled to a temperature above 700° C. and divided into thin slabs. The thin slabs then pass through an equalization furnace standing in line where they are reheated to a temperature ≦1170° C. and continuously rolled in a multi-stand hot rolling mill to give hot strip having a thickness of ≦3.0 mm. The first shaping pass is performed at a temperature in the rolling stock up to 1150° C. The reduction in thickness is at least 20%. The hot strip is cold rolled in one or more stages with recrystallizing intermediate annealing to a final thickness in the range of 0.15-0.50 mm. The cold strip is then annealed with recrystallization and decarburization, furnished with a predominantly MgO-containing annealing separator and given a final annealing for imprinting a Goss texture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Thyssen Krupp Stahl AG
    Inventors: Hans Pircher, Rudolf Kawalla, Manfred Espenhahn, Andreas Böttcher, Klaus Günther, Hans Huneus, Carl-Dieter Wuppermann
  • Patent number: 6524403
    Abstract: A non-chrome containing composition and process are disclosed for enhancing the corrosion resistance of zinc or zinc alloy surfaces. The composition comprises a source of titanium ions or titanates, an oxidant and fluorides or complex fluorides. The composition also preferably comprises an organic acid and/or a Group II metal compound, preferably a Group II metal chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Inventors: Ian Bartlett, Ernest Long, Anthony Rowan
  • Patent number: 6524402
    Abstract: A passivation method for the metallic surface of a nickel and iron-based superalloy which is used as the constituent material of reactor or furnace walls is described, in which the superalloy is coated on at least one of its surfaces which comes into contact with a corrosive atmosphere containing either hydrocarbons at high temperature or containing oxidizing gases at high temperature, with at least two successive layers resulting from successive chemical vapour deposition of its one or more constituent elements, the external phase, resulting from chemical vapour deposition of at least one silicon compound and the layer(s) deposited between the superalloy surface, and the external layer resulting from chemical vapour deposition of at least one of a metal or metalloid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2003
    Assignee: Institut Francais du Petrole
    Inventors: Paul Broutin, Pascal Nisio, François Ropital
  • Patent number: 6521055
    Abstract: A method of stress inducing transformation from the austenite phase to the martensite phase by conducting cold working on material of austenite stainless steel in the temperature range from the point Ms to the point Md. The above cold working is a biaxial tensing. An intermediately formed hollow body is made, which includes a ferromagnetic portion and a non-magnetic portion contracting inward. Then, the intermediately formed body is subjected to a stress removing process in which residual tensile stress is removed from an intermediately formed body. In the stress removing process, it is preferable that a punch is press-fitted into the intermediately formed body so as to expand a non-magnetic portion and then the intermediately formed body is drawn with ironing while the punch is inserted so that the residual tensile stress can be changed into the residual compressive stress in the non-magnetic portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Sugiyama, Yoshihiro Tanimura, Masaki Shimizu, Yoshitada Katayama, Hidehito Kito, Suehisa Sugisaka
  • Patent number: 6521053
    Abstract: A substrate is protected by first providing the substrate, and applying a ceramic coating overlying and bonded to the substrate. The ceramic coating is formed of an open-cell solid foam of ceramic cell walls having an interconnected intracellular volume therebetween which is filled at least in part with a metallic alloy. The ceramic coating has an exposed surface remote from the substrate. The exposed surface of the ceramic coating is heated to an exposure temperature such that at least some of the metallic alloy is lost from the intracellular volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Richard John Grylls, Curtiss Mitchell Austin
  • Patent number: 6521052
    Abstract: A simple surface treatment process is provided which offers a high performance surface for a variety of applications at low cost. This novel surface treatment, which is particularly useful for Ti-6Al-4V alloys, is achieved by forming oxides on the surface with a two-step chemical process and without mechanical abrasion. First, after solvent degreasing, sulfuric acid is used to generate a fresh titanium surface. Next, an alkaline perborate solution is used to form an oxide on the surface. This acid-followed-by-base treatment is cost effective and relatively safe to use in commercial applications. In addition, it is chromium-free, and has been successfully used with a sol-gel coating to afford a strong adhesive bond that exhibits excellent durability after the bonded specimens have been subjected to a harsh 72 hour water boil immersion. Phenylethynyl containing adhesives were used to evaluate this surface treatment with a novel coupling agent containing both trialkoxysilane and phenylethynyl groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Cheol Park, Sharon E. Lowther, Terry L. St. Clair
  • Patent number: 6521175
    Abstract: A superalloy has a composition of, in weight percent, from about 16.0 percent to about 22.4 percent cobalt, from about 6.6 percent to about 14.3 percent chromium, from about 1.4 percent to about 3.5 percent tantalum, from about 1.9 percent to about 4.0 percent tungsten, from about 1.9 percent to about 3.9 percent molybdenum, from about 0.03 percent to about 0.10 percent zirconium, from about 0.9 percent to about 3.0 percent niobium, from about 2.4 percent to about 4.6 percent titanium, from about 2.6 percent to about 4.8 percent aluminum, from 0 to about 2.5 percent rhenium, from about 0.02 percent to about 0.10 percent carbon, from about 0.02 percent to about 0.10 percent boron, balance nickel and minor amounts of impurities. The superalloy is advantageously utilized in aircraft gas turbine disks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: David P. Mourer, Eric S. Huron, Kenneth R. Bain, Enrique E. Montero, Paul L. Reynolds, John J. Schirra
  • Patent number: RE38042
    Abstract: A the magnetically anisotropic magnetic powder having an average particle size of 1-1000 &mgr;m and made from a magnetically anisotropic R-TM-B-Ga or R-TM-B-Ga-M alloy having an average crystal grain size of 0.01-0.5 &mgr;m, wherein R represents one or more rare earth elements including Y, TM represents Fe which may be partially substituted by Co, B boron, Ga gallium, and M one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Nb, W, V, Ta, Mo, Si, Al, Zr, Hf, P, C and Zn. This is useful for anisotropic resin-bonded magnet with high magnetic properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventors: Minoru Endoh, Yasuto Nozawa, Katsunori Iwasaki, Shigeho Tanigawa, Masaaki Tokunaga