Patents Examined by John Sheehan
  • Patent number: 6454882
    Abstract: A titanium alpha-beta alloy having enhanced notch toughness comprises titanium, aluminum, and vanadium and is characterized by a microstructure having equiaxed alpha grains whose volume fraction is about 75 to 85 percent, a maximum grain size of the microstructure not exceeding about 10 &mgr;m, and with the volume fraction of primary alpha grains not exceeding about 2 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Patrick Lyle Martin
  • Patent number: 6454994
    Abstract: The invention includes a method of forming a solid from at least two different powdered materials. A first and second of the different powder materials is compressed into a pellet. A melt pool is formed at a temperature which will melt both the first and second materials. The pellet is fed to the melt pool to melt the first and second materials, and the melted first and second materials are subsequently cooled to form the solid. The invention also includes a method of forming a solid which includes tantalum and silicon. The invention further includes a homogeneous solid comprising tantalum and silicon, and formed from a molten mixture of tantalum and silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: Guangxin Wang
  • Patent number: 6454879
    Abstract: An austenitic, paramagnetic and corrosion-resistant material, particularly in media with high chloride concentrations, the material having high strength, yield strength, and ductility, including carbon, silicon, chromium, manganese, nitrogen, and optionally, nickel, molybdenum, copper, boron, and carbide-forming elements. The material is preferably substantially completely austenitic. A process utilizing alloying technology that includes a deformation and synergistically results in production of a ferrite-free material that is reliably paramagnetic, is corrosion-resistant, and has high yield strength, strength, and ductility. The material can be very beneficially used, for example, in connection with oil field technology, such as for bore rods and drilling string components as well as for precision-forged components, and for high strength attachment and connection elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignees: Schoeller-Bleckman Oilfield Technology GmbH & Co. KG, Bohler Edelstahl GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Herbert Aigner, Günter Hochörtler, Josef Bernauer
  • Patent number: 6454878
    Abstract: A method for forming sets of tri-metal material involving the use of cladding mills. When multiple sets of tri-metal material are formed, the outside surfaces of each set is prepared by oxidation to prevent each set from adhering to the set above or below. An alternative to oxidation is to provide a removable layer on the outside surface of the tri-metal material. Alternatively bonding materials may be used on the intermediate surfaces; such bonding materials can be selected from a group consisting of tin, nickel, titanium, chromium, silver and zinc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Achyuta Achari, Brenda Joyce Nation, Jay D Baker, Lakhi Nandlal Goenka, Mohan R. Paruchuri, Vladimir Stoica
  • Patent number: 6451129
    Abstract: A decorative titanium material according to the present invention eliminates a deterioration of the appearance even after processing, that is, provides a small surface roughness, and has a hardened layer of titanium at the surface of the titanium material, this hardened surface layer including nitrogen and oxygen, and having a surface crystal grain size in the range from 0.1 to 60 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sato, Yoshitugu Sibuya, Junji Sato
  • Patent number: 6451131
    Abstract: A Terbium-Dysprosium-Iron magnetostrictive material of the type Tb1−xDyxFe2−y wherein x is less than 0.7, and y is less than or equal to 0.1, and devices using these materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Energen, Inc.
    Inventors: Chiu-Ying Tai, Chandrashekhar H. Joshi
  • Patent number: 6451130
    Abstract: A method for forming a chromium oxide film on the surface of a stainless steel sample. The method includes: (a) placing a sample having stainless a steel surface into a vacuum furnace, evacuating the vacuum furnace to a pressure of 2×10−7 to 3×10−7 Torr, and heating the vacuum furnace to 450 to 600° C. at a rate of 5 to 10° C./min; (b) maintaining the vacuum furnace for 10 to 20 minutes at a temperature of 450 to 600° C. to remove foreign materials from the surface of the stainless steel sample and to extract chromium atoms from the stainless steel substrate; and (c) supplying oxygen to the vacuum furnace while maintaining the temperature until oxygen partial pressure reaches 1×10−9 to 2.5×10−7 Torr, so the extracted chromium atoms react with oxygen, producing a chromium oxide (Cr2O3) film on the surface of the stainless steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Pohang University of Science and Technology Foundation
    Inventors: Suk-min Chung, Bok-lae Cho
  • Patent number: 6451443
    Abstract: A corrosion-resistant coating for aluminum alloys preferably includes lithium molybdate and cerium. A conversion coating has been developed for aluminum surfaces that can substitute for the conventional chromate containing conversion coating. This new coating contains compounds such as lithium molybdate and cerium. The initial process consisted of two steps. Coated surface was tested to ASTM B117 requirement for 168 hours, showing little corrosion. Paint adhesion tests were also conducted with good results. Subsequent tests indicated that one step is adequate, but additional tests are needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: University of New Orleans Research and Technology Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Alfred F. Daech
  • Patent number: 6447620
    Abstract: A water-based surface-treating agent for metallic materials which gives a film highly satisfactory in corrosion resistance, blackening resistance, wet secondary adhesion to topcoatings, low-pollution characteristics (amount of fixed chromium), chemical resistance (especially acid resistance and alkali resistance), etc., while retaining the intact practical liquid stability of conventional chromate-containing resinous coating agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Henkel Corporation
    Inventors: Sinobu Komiyama, Yoshihiro Hayashi, Tatsuro Minabe, Masashi Masuko
  • Patent number: 6447623
    Abstract: A two-phase niobium-based silicide composite exhibits creep resistance at temperatures equal to or greater than 1150° C. The niobium-based silicide composite comprises at least silicon (Si) hafnium (Hf), titanium (Ti), and niobium (Nb). The concentration ratio of Nb:(Hf+Ti) is equal to or greater than about 1.4.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignees: General Electric Company, Brown University Research Foundation
    Inventors: Melvin Robert Jackson, Bernard Patrick Bewlay, Clyde Leonard Briant
  • Patent number: 6444054
    Abstract: Slurry coating compositions are provided for metal substrates, particularly nickel or cobalt-containing alloys, that enable inward-type diffusion aluminide coatings having a substantially uniform coating thickness to be formed thereon. Substantially uniform coating thicknesses are achieved independent of applied slurry composition thickness or application method. The slurry coating composition of the invention comprises a Cr—Al alloy containing about 50 wt % to about 80 wt % Cr in the alloy, LiF in an amount greater than or equal to 0.3 wt % of the Cr—Al alloy, an organic binder, and a solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Sermatech International, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Kircher, Bruce G. McMordie, Srinivasan Shankar
  • Patent number: 6444052
    Abstract: A production method to produce an anisotropic NdFeB based alloy magnet having a high anisotropic ratio and coercivity by a simple procedure. The production method consists of a first hydrogenation process, a second hydrogenation process and a desorption process. The first hydrogenation process at a low temperature produces the hydride that stores hydrogen needed in advance of the phase transformation. After that, the second hydrogenation process at an elevated temperature proceeds smoothly at a moderate reaction rate of the phase transformation and produces the mixture of NdH2, Fe and Fe2 B from the hydride in addition to making the crystallographic orientation of Fe2 B phase consistent with the original R2 Fe14 B matrix phase. Subsequently, the desorption process produces the fine grained microstructure of Nd2 Fe14 BHx with high degrees of alignment of the crystallographic orientation consistent with the original crystallographic orientation of Fe2 B phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Honkura, Chisato Mishima
  • Patent number: 6444051
    Abstract: A method of making a grain-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet having a low iron loss and a high magnetic flux density, from a steel slab with 0.03 to 0.095 wt % carbon, about 1.5 to 7.0 wt % Si, about 0.03 to 2.50 wt % manganese, about 0.003 to 0.040 wt % sulfur and/or selenium, about 0.0010 to 0.0070 wt % borbon, about 30 to 120 wtppm nitrogen, about 0.015 wt % or less aluminum, and about 0.010 wt % or less vanadium by subjecting the steel slab to reheating, hot rolling, rapid cooling, cold rolling, primary recrystallization annealing, coating with an annealing separator, final annealing, secondary recrystallization, and coiling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Kawasaki Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Michiro Komatsubara, Kazuaki Tamura, Mitsumasa Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 6444059
    Abstract: Rolled or extruded products for welded constructions are made of an aluminum-magnesium-manganese type aluminum alloy, consisting essentially of, by weight: 3.0<Mg<5.0 0.5<Mn<1.0 Fe<0.25 Si<0.25 Zn<0.40 Cr<0.25 Cu<0.20 Ti<0.20 Zr<0.20 The product has a volumetric fraction of Mn containing dispersoids grater than 1.2%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Pechiney Rhenalu
    Inventors: Guy-Michel Raynaud, Jean-Luc Hoffmann, Laurent Cottignies, Georges Pillet
  • Patent number: 6444049
    Abstract: Manufacture by rolling silicon steel having a silicon content of 3 wt % or greater and by rolling thin sendust sheet is implemented by powder metallurgical fabrication using powder as the starting raw material, and the average crystal grain size of the sheet-form sintered body or quick-cooled steel sheet is made 300 pm or less, whereby intra-grain slip transformation occurs after slip transformation in the grain boundaries, wherefore cold rolling is rendered possible. In addition, a mixture powder wherein pure iron powder and Fe—Si powder are mixed together in a prescribed proportion is fabricated with a powder metallurgy technique, and an iron-rich phase is caused to remain in the sintered body, whereby cold rolling is possible using the plastic transformation of those crystal grains. Furthermore, when a minute amount of a non-magnetic metal element such as Ti, V, or Al, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Sumitomo Special Metals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Yamashita, Ken Makita, Masao Noumi, Tsunekazu Saigo
  • Patent number: 6444048
    Abstract: Processes for the preparation of a sintered alloy comprising R2Fe14B as a magnetic phase constituting a main phase include a binary alloy process wherein a main phase alloy having a lower R content than the above phase is mixed with a grain boundary phase alloy rich in R component and serving as a liquid phase in the sintering in order to prepare a mixture to be used as the starting material. The conventional main phase alloy has a structure comprising the R2Fe14B phase and, in addition, a large amount of an easily oxidizable lamella R-rich phase and a harmful dendrite &agr; phase. On the other hand, the main phase alloy of the invention has a low dendrite a phase content and a low lamella R-rich phase and contains a lamella &agr; Fe phase. This contributes to excellent oxidation resistance and improved properties of the magnet. The preparation of a sintered magnet by mixing the main phase alloy with the grain boundary phase alloy by the binary alloy method can reduce abnormal growth of crystal grains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2002
    Assignee: Showa Denko K.K.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hasegawa, Yoichi Hirose
  • Patent number: 6436202
    Abstract: Heat resistant stainless steel may be treated in a low oxidizing atmosphere in a heat/soak-heat/soak sequence to deplete its surface of Ni and Cr which tend to catalyze coking of hydrocarbons in contact with the surface of the stainless steel, and enrich it with elements which are inert to coke formation. Parts made of stainless steel, such as furnace tubes or coils, treated in accordance with the present invention when used have a significantly reduced rate of catalytic coking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Nova Chemicals (International) S.A.
    Inventors: Leslie Wilfred Benum, Michael C. Oballa
  • Patent number: 6436200
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method for preparing a magnetic head having a high-speed magnetic recording ability. A resist insulating layer 70 is formed on a coil, a magnetic pole layer 41 is formed on the resist insulating layer 70, and a laminate 10 including the resist insulating layer 70 and the magnetic pole layer 41 is heated so that the resist insulating layer 70 is allowed to shrink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Teruo Kiyomiya, Yuji Uehara
  • Patent number: 6436201
    Abstract: Disclosed is a cationic electrodeposition coating composition comprising (A) a resin for cationic electrodeposition coatings, (B) a compound containing a metal selected from among bismuth, lanthanum and molybdenum, and (c) a metal hydroxide represented by the following formula: M(1−x)Alx(OH)(2+x).mH2O wherein M is Mg or Zn, and x and m are values satisfying the relationships: 0≦x≦1 and 0≦m<2. This cationic electrodeposition coating composition can form a coating film which exhibits an excellent rust-proofing effect on untreated steel plates or sheets and has good smoothness, without using harmful substances such as lead compounds and chromium compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Kansai Paint Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaru Sugita, Katsuhisa Sugisaki
  • Patent number: 6432223
    Abstract: A method for making a magnetic data storage target includes warm-rolling a magnetic alloy sheet at a temperature of less than about 1200° F., optimally followed by annealing. The method results in increased pass-through-flux (PTF) and improved performance in magnetron sputtering applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2002
    Assignee: Heraeus Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Bartholomeusz, Michael Tsai