Patents Examined by John Sheehan
  • Rare earth magnet and method for producing the magnet
    Patent number: 6676773
    Abstract: A method of making an alloy powder for an R—Fe—B-type rare earth magnet includes the steps of preparing a material alloy that is to be used for forming the R—Fe—B-type rare earth magnet and that has a chilled structure that constitutes about 2 volume percent to about 20 volume percent of the material alloy, coarsely pulverizing the material alloy for the R—Fe—B-type rare earth magnet by utilizing a hydrogen occlusion phenomenon to obtain a coarsely pulverized powder, finely pulverizing the coarsely pulverized powder and removing at least some of fine powder particles having particle sizes of about 1.0 &mgr;m or less from the finely pulverized powder, thereby reducing the volume fraction of the fine powder particles with the particle sizes of about 1.0 &mgr;m or less, and covering the surface of remaining ones of the powder particles with a lubricant after the step of removing has been performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Sumitomo Special Metals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Kaneko, Junichiro Baba, Katsuya Taniguchi
  • Method of manufacturing grain-oriented electrical steel sheet
    Patent number: 6676771
    Abstract: Manufacturing a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet, a secondary recrystallization step and a forsterite coating forming step are separated into first batch annealing for developing secondary recrystallization and second batch annealing for forming a forsterite coating, with continuous annealing performed between these two steps of batch annealing, to produce a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet that is superior in both magnetic characteristics and coating characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: JFE Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Minoru Takashima, Tetsuo Toge, Yasuyuki Hayakawa, Mitsumasa Kurosawa, Michiro Komatsubara
  • Method of minimizing environmental effect in aluminides
    Patent number: 6673164
    Abstract: A method of cold fabricating an intermetallic alloy composition, comprising steps of coating an article of an intermetallic alloy composition with a viscous medium which provides a moisture resistant barrier on the surface of the article, fabricating the coated article into a desired shape, and optionally removing the coating from the shaped article. The coating step can be carried out by applying oil to the surface of the article or immersing the article in oil. The intermetallic article can be an iron aluminide and the fabrication step can include stamping, bending, drawing, forming, cutting, shearing or punching. During the fabrication step a surface oxide film is cracked and metal surfaces exposed by the cracked oxide film are protected from exposure to moisture in the air by the viscous medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Firooz Rasouli, Clive R. Scorey
  • Permanent magnetic materials of the Fe-B-R tpe, containing Ce and Nd and/or Pr, and process for manufacture
    Patent number: 6669788
    Abstract: A Fe—B—R type permanent magnetic, consisting of: 13-19 atomic % R, where R consists essentially of a mixture of rare earth elements Nd and/or Pr, and Ce, where Ce is between 0.2 and 5.0 wt. % of R; 4-20 atomic % B, and the balance comprising Fe. In a preferred aspect, R comprises 15-16 atomic % B; of which Ce is approximately 0.5% and the remaining rare earths Pr and Nd are in a ratio of 3:1. A process of producing a Fe—B—R permanent magnet as described above, and a Fe—B—R magnetic material made by such process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignees: General Electric Company, Batou Iron and Steel (Group) Co. LTD
    Inventors: Chen Pei Xin, Wang Biao, Ni De Zhen, Mark Gilbert Benz, Juliana C. Shei
  • Iron-based casting alloy
    Patent number: 6669790
    Abstract: An iron-based casting alloy and a process for making the alloy are provided by combining an iron-carbon-chromium system with primary carbides of vanadium, niobium, titanium, or combinations thereof without any eutectic carbides of vanadium, niobium and titanium. Eutectic chromium carbides (M7C3) are also formed without any primary chromium carbides. Proeutectic austenite can also be formed in the alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Climax Research Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard B. Gundlach, Sumita Majumdar
  • Self-healing non-chromate coatings for aluminum and aluminum alloys
    Patent number: 6669786
    Abstract: Disclosed are processes and compositions of solutions for chromate-replacement coatings for aluminum and aluminum alloys. A preferred method includes forming a boehmite coating layer that includes Al (III) ions on an aluminum surface, and applying an ionic conversion coating solution to the coating layer. The ionic conversion coating solution comprises hexavalent and trivalent ions. The trivalent ions are selected from the group consisting of Ce, Ga, Mn, Sc, Ti, Te and V. The hexavalent ions are selected from the group consisting of Mn, Mo, Se and W. It is contended that the resulting coatings provide corrosion resistance and self-healing effect in any defects present in the coatings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2003
    Assignee: Concurrent Technologies Corporation
    Inventor: Krishnaswamy Sampath
  • Process for the improvement of the magnetic characteristics in grain oriented electrical silicon steel sheets by laser treatment
    Patent number: 6666929
    Abstract: It has been found out that in the laser treatment for the control of the magnetic domain sizes in grain oriented electrical silicon steel sheets, by optimizing some essential parameters of the treatment such as specific radiation energy, the distance among the scribed traces, the scanning speed and the dwell time, a contemporaneous improvement of the magnetostriction, induction and core losses can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Acciai Speciali Terni, S.p.A.
    Inventor: Gabor Ban
  • FePt magnet and manufacturing method thereof
    Patent number: 6666930
    Abstract: The present invention offers a minute-sized magnet with superior magnetic energy product (BH)max and coercivity iHc, as well as superior anti-corrosive properties. This magnet is comprised of an alloy comprised of 35-55 atomic % platinum, 0.001-10 atomic % third element, which is one or more elements from groups IVa, Va, IIIb, or IVb, and a remainder of iron and other unavoidable impurities. The average crystal size of this FePt alloy is 0.3 &mgr;m. By mixing an FePt alloy with a specific element in a designated ratio, an FePt magnet with more excellent characteristics than ones made from previous alloys was successfully made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Aichi Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Aoyama, Yoshinobu Honkura, Takumi Asano
  • Gold-free platinum material dispersion-strengthened by small, finely dispersed particles of base metal oxide
    Patent number: 6663728
    Abstract: A gold-free platinum material that is dispersion-strengthened by small, finely dispersed particles of base metal oxide. The base metal is either 0.01-0.5 wt. % Sc or a mixture/alloy of Sc and at least one metal from the group consisting of Zr, Y, and Ce with a total base metal content of 0.05-0.5 wt. %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: W.C. Heraeus GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Harald Manhardt, David Francis Lupton, Wulf Kock
  • Heat treatment devices and method of operation thereof to produce dual microstructure superalloy disks
    Patent number: 6660110
    Abstract: A heat treatment assembly and heat treatment methods are disclosed for producing different microstructures in the bore and rim portions of nickel-based superalloy disks, particularly suited for gas turbine applications. The heat treatment assembly is capable of being removed from the furnace and disassembled to allow rapid fan or oil quenching of the disk. For solutioning heat treatments of the disk, temperatures higher than that of this solvus temperature of the disk are used to produce coarse grains in the rim of each disk so as to give maximum creep and dwell crack resistance at the rim service temperature. At the same time, solution temperature lower than the solvus temperature of the disk are provided to produce fine grain in the bore of the disk so as to give maximum strength and low cycle fatigue resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: John Gayda, Timothy P. Gabb, Peter T. Kantzos
  • Magnetic powder and bonded magnet
    Patent number: 6660178
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a magnetic powder which can provide a bonded magnet having high mechanical strength and excellent magnetic properties. The magnetic powder has an alloy composition containing a rare-earth element and a transition metal, wherein the magnetic powder includes particles each of which is formed with a number of ridges or recesses on at least a part of a surface thereof. In this magnetic powder, it is preferable that when the mean particle size of the magnetic powder is defined by a&mgr;m, the average length of the ridges or recesses is equal to or greater than a/40 &mgr;m. Further, preferably, the ridges or recesses are arranged in roughly parallel with each other so as to have an average pitch of 0.5-100 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Arai, Hiroshi Kato
  • Method of reducing elution of lead in lead-containing copper alloy, and drinking water service fittings made of lead-containing copper alloy
    Patent number: 6656294
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing method for preventing elution of lead in a lead-containing copper alloy to prevent lead from eluting from a faucet metal, etc. made of a lead-containing copper alloy, and a drinking water service fitting made of a lead-containing copper alloy in which elution of lead has been prevented. By forming a chromate film on the surface of a lead-containing copper alloy material, it is possible to reduce elution of the lead left in a limited amount on the surface. A drinking water service fitting made of a lead-containing copper alloy is immersed in an alkaline etching solution in a pre-processing step for a nickel chromium plating step to selectively remove lead on the surface of the lead-containing copper alloy material and is then activated in a solution such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Toto Ltd.
    Inventors: Masashi Kawamoto, Akira Gotou, Mituo Imamoto
  • Oxidation resistant molybdenum
    Patent number: 6652674
    Abstract: Mo—Si—B alloys having additions of a transition element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Ni, Co, Cu and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: United Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Shiela Rhea Woodard, Rafael Raban, James F. Myers, Douglas Michael Berczik
  • Fabrication of an article having a protective coating with a flat protective-coating surface and a low sulfur content
    Patent number: 6652982
    Abstract: An article having a protective coating is fabricated by providing an article substrate having a substrate surface; and thereafter producing a flattened protective coating on the substrate surface. The step of producing the flattened protective coating includes the steps of depositing a protective coating on the substrate surface, the protective coating having a protective-coating surface, and processing the protective coating to achieve the flattened protective-coating surface. The protective coating is thereafter optionally controllably oxidized. The article substrate and protective coating have an average sulfur content of less than about 10 parts per million by weight at depths measured from the protective-coating surface to a depth of about 50 micrometers below the protective-coating surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Irene Spitsberg, Ramgopal Darolia
  • High-purity ferromagnetic sputter targets and method of manufacture
    Patent number: 6652668
    Abstract: The method manufactures high-purity ferromagnetic sputter targets by cryogenic working the sputter target blank at a temperature below at least −50° C. to impart at least about 5 percent strain into the sputter target blank to increase PTF uniformity of the target blank. The sputter target blank is a nonferrous metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt and nickel; and the nonferrous metal has a purity of at least about 99.99 weight percent. Finally, fabricating the sputter target blank forms a sputter target having an improved PTF uniformity arising from the cryogenic working.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: Praxair S.T. Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew C. Perry, Holger J. Koenigsmann, David E. Dombrowski, Thomas J. Hunt
  • Rare earth magnet and method for manufacturing the same
    Patent number: 6648984
    Abstract: A compact is produced from an alloy powder for R—Fe—B type rare earth magnets including particles having a size in a range of about 2.0 &mgr;m to about 5.0 &mgr;m as measured by a light scattering method using a Fraunhofer forward scattering in a proportion of approximately 45 vol. % or more and particles having a size larger than about 10 &mgr;m in a proportion of less than about 1 vol. %. The compact is then sintered to obtain a R—Fe—B type rare earth magnet having an average crystal grain size in a range of about 5 &mgr;m to about 7.5 &mgr;m, and an oxygen concentration in a range of about 2.2 at. % to about 3.0 at. %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Sumitomo Special Metals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Takaki, Ken Makita
  • Magnetic powder and bonded magnet
    Patent number: 6648989
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a magnetic powder which can provide a bonded magnet having high mechanical strength and excellent magnetic properties. The magnetic powder has an alloy composition represented by the formula of Rx(Fe1-yCoy)100-x-zBz (where R is at least one rare-earth element, x is 10-15 at %, y is 0-0.30, and z is 4-10 at %), wherein the magnetic powder includes particles each of which is formed with a number of ridges or recesses on at least a part of the surface thereof. In this magnetic powder, it is preferable that when the mean particle size of the magnetic powder is defined by a&mgr;m, the average length of the ridges or recesses is equal to or greater than a/40 &mgr;m. Further, preferably, the ridges or recesses are arranged in roughly parallel with each other so as to have an average pitch of 0.5-100 &mgr;m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Arai, Hiroshi Kato
  • Co-based magnetic alloy and magnetic members made of the same
    Patent number: 6648990
    Abstract: Disclosed is a Co-base magnetic alloy excellent in high-frequency magnetic properties, of which chemical composition is represented by the following general formula, by atomic %, (Co1-aFea)100-y-cM′yX′c, where M′ is at least one element selected from the group consisting of V, Ti, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Sc, Ta and W; X′ is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si and B; and a, y and c are defined by the formulas of a<0.35, 1.5≦y≦15, and 4≦c≦30, respectively. At least a part of the alloy structure of the alloy consists of crystal grains having an average grain size of not more than 50 nm. The alloy has a relative initial permeability of not more than 2000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshihito Yoshizawa
  • Furnace run length extension by fouling control
    Patent number: 6648988
    Abstract: Furnace run length extension by fouling control utilizing a pigging-passivation process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Trikur Anantharaman Ramanarayanan, Ashok Uppal, Changmin Chun
  • &agr;+&bgr; type titanium alloy, a titanium alloy strip, coil-rolling process of titanium alloy, and process for producing a cold-rolled titanium alloy strip
    Patent number: RE38316
    Abstract: A high strength and ductility &agr;+&bgr; type titanium alloy, comprising at least one isomorphous &bgr; stabilizing element in a Mo equivalence of 2.0-4.5 mass %, at least one eutectic &bgr; stabilizing element in an Fe equivalence of 0.3-2.0 mass %, and Si in an amount of 0.1-1.5 mass %, and optionally comprising C in an amount of 0.01-0.15% mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2003
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Kobe Seiko Sho
    Inventors: Hideto Oyama, Takayuki Kida, Kazumi Furutani, Masamitsu Fujii