Abstract: A process for the consolidation of discrete, particulate, low-melting or liquid materials, characterized in that said materials are consolidated in their particulate discrete form by application of vapors of at least one p-xylylene monomer and/or of a derivative thereof, which is polymerized under vacuum. The materials are thus given the surface characteristics of a solid, with enhanced properties of mechanical, physical and/or chemical strength, even in the presence of high temperatures. The invention is particularly useful for the metered addition of predetermined amounts of compositions or for moving mechanical parts.

Abstract: A method of making a tape suitable for impregnation into a porous metal matrix which generally includes the steps of mixing a liquid dispersion of PTFE with a coagulant to form a paste, placing the paste between a layer of supporting material and a layer of filter paper to form a sandwich, compressing the sandwich, transferring the sandwich to a gauze-like material so that the filter paper layer of the sandwich is adjacent the gauze-like material, applying a vacuum to the gauze-like material and adjacent filter paper layer to remove some excess liquid from the paste, and removing the layer of filter paper from the sandwich to leave a tape comprising PTFE and liquid and a layer of supporting material adjacent the tape. The method of the present invention may be used to apply, by impregnation, a PTFE based composition, which may include various fillers therein to a porous metal matrix or interlayer.

Abstract: A method for producing a granulated riboflavin product comprises making a specific mixture of riboflavin, binder and water, followed by homogenizing the mixture and thereafter spray-drying the homogenized mixture so that granules are produced. The mixture has a relatively high vitamin and binder content but is reduced to a relatively low viscosity (via homogenization) so that spray drying can be performed.

Abstract: A method for quality assurance in the manufacture of tablets. Tablet samples consisting of a plurality of tablets are taken whose actual weight is compared with their nominal weight, so that the tabletting machine is subsequently adjusted according to the deviation in order to adjust the weight of the tablets to the nominal weight. If the sample of tablets contains one or several tablets which, as so-called error tablets, show significant deviation from the nominal weight due to flawed manufacture, inaccuracy of the result so obtained is avoided if prior to adjustment of the machine, the weights of the individual sample tablets are measured and compared with one another. If it is found that the sample contains tablets with significant deviation from their nominal weight, such tablets may be taken into account in the statistical analysis by corrective computation.

Abstract: A method for producing power by atomizing a stream of molten material by contact with a swirling annular gas stream having an angular to axial velocity ratio sufficient to cause some of the gas to flow in the axially opposite direction from that of the gas stream.

Abstract: A fire resistive and insulating bonded composite structure includes a binder made from a mixture of a weak acid and a powdered base metal oxide wherein the acid and metal fuse as a mixture under an exothermic reaction into the binder. A fibrous cellulose material is encapsulated within the binder and rendered non-flammable thereby. The subject invention further provides a method of making the bonded composite structure including the steps of mixing the weak acid and powdered base metal oxide, encapsulating the fibrous cellulose material within the binder and rendering the fibrous cellulose material non-flammable thereby, forming the slurry mixture into a predetermined form, and setting the formed mixture into a solid.

Abstract: The method of producing a superconducting product includes:(a) providing a pressed-powder preform consisting essentially of YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x where 0.0<x<0.5,(b) pre-heating the preform to elevated temperature,(c) providing a grain bed and embedding the heated preform in that bed,(d) and consolidating the preform of at least about 95% of theoretical density by application of pressure to the grain bed, thereby to form the product.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for dry-pelletizing carbon black, allowing to control pellet quality and increasing the output of any particular pelletizing apparatus. The method calls for pre-compacting the material to be pelletized by means of vacuum before or during pelletizing. The invention also includes two apparatus to carry out the single-stage method version, comprising a pelletizing drum in which are mounted vacuum filter surfaces to pre-compact the powdery initial material in parallel with the on-going prepelletizing procedure. In one apparatus, the inside surface of the drum is a filter surface, in the other apparatus, bundles of stationary filter pipes are provided in the lower drum space.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a stiff permeable sheet-like fibrous structure which includes forming a web with 20% to 60% single fibres having a high modulus of elasticity (as herein defined) and between 7 and 50 millimeters long, and 40% to 60% by weight of a wholly or substantially unconsolidated particulate plastics material, and then treating the web by heating to melt the plastics material and passing it between a pair of nip rollers so that the plastics material can flow and wet out the fibres, the nip between the rollers being set to a dimension less than the thickness of the unconsolidated web and greater than that of the web if it were to be fully consolidated, and allowing the web to expand and remain substantially permeable after passing through the rollers.

Abstract: A method in which various kinds of powdered or granular materials such as metal, ceramic and the like are put into a metal cylindrical container which can be plastically-deformed, or in the space between a container and a core or a substrate, the surroundings are sealed so that the powdered or granular materials do not leak out, the container is locally pressed by a small roller, and the locally pressed treatment is provided to the whole container region. Therefore, the internal powdered or granular materials are pressurized to a uniform density without regard to selective parts, and the materials are formed to various shapes by means of the local pressing.

Abstract: A composite lumber product of consolidated comminuted wood and thermosetting resin made by a method which comprises densifying the material into a product-shaped heated metal mold by applying the compressing thrust in a direction parallel to the width dimension of the lumber-like article produced, rather than in the direction parallel the thickness dimension as in conventional hot platen pressing. Densifying in this manner produces much superior orientation of the wood grain along the long axis of the composite lumber product. The timed period elapsed during the densification to dimension now can be, and must be, quite short--of the order of twenty seconds or preferably less--allowing maximum heat transfer into the densified material from the hot metal broad-face (W.times.L) surface to thus minimize the presstime required. Apparatus for carrying out the method is disclosed.

Abstract: An improved roll and method for mixing, shearing and pelletizing materials utilizing a pair of conical-shaped rollers positioned adjacent to one another with one of the rollers having a plurality of perforations in its narrow end and the other of the rollers, in one embodiment, heated, with material positioned in the nip at the wider end of the rollers moving during operation of the rollers to the narrow end where the material is forced through the perforations and cutt off inside the roller forming pellets.

Abstract: A method for fabricating relatively dense monoliths of superconducting material and relatively dense composite monoliths of superconducting material and binder material. The method includes the steps of placing the material to be processed in a die. A relatively high pressure is then applied to the material. Substantially simultaneously, an electrical discharge is applied to the material. The discharge is of a relatively high voltage and current density to provide sharp bonding while maintaining the superconducting properties of the material in the monolith product. A product fabricated by the present method is also described.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a superconducting wire is carried out by first preparing a material being composed of Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7. This material is melted in a platinum crucible. A melt thus obtained is drawn out from a hole provided on the bottom wall of the crucible to be linearly discharged. The linearly discharged melt is cooled and solidified. A cooling/solidifying space for such a step is set at a temperature less by about 10.degree. C. than the solidifying point of the material, and a slow-cooling zone is provided next to the cooling/solidifying space. This slow-cooling zone is provided to be at a relatively high temperature in a portion closer to the hole while having a temperature gradient along a direction for linearly discharging the melt. A superconducting wire being composed of Y.sub.1 Ba.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7 is obtained. This superconducting wire superconducts at 85K.

Abstract: A method for the production of a fiber-reinforced molding material of thermosetting resin, which method comprises supplying a liquid thermosetting resin composition to at least one spreading roller disposed as separated by a gap of not more than 5 mm from the terminal of a supply unit, rotated at speed in the range of 1,000 to 7,000 r.p.m., and provided on the circumferential source thereof with at least one ridge or groove formed parallelly to the rotary axis thereof, thereby causing the liquid thermosetting resin composition to be spread out in the form of particles, allowing said particles to be mixed with separately spread reinforcing fibers, piling the resultant mixture, and then deaerating the piled mixture thereby causing the reinforcing fibers in the piled mixture to be impregnated with the resin composition.

Abstract: A superconductor comprised of a polycrystalline metal oxide such as YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-X (where 0<.times.<0.5) is capable of accommodating very large current densities. By aligning the two-dimensional Cu--O layers which carry the current in the superconducting state in the a- and b-directions, i.e., within the basal plane, a high degree of crystalline axes alignment is provided between adjacent grains permitting the metal oxide material to accommodate high current densities. The orthorhombic crystalline particles have a tendency to lie down on one of the longer sides, i.e., on the a- or b-direction. Aligning the crystals in this orientation is accomplished by mechanical working of the material such as by extrusion, tape casting or slip casting, provided a single crystal powder is used as a starting material, to provide a highly oriented, e.g., approximately 90% of the crystal particles have a common orientation, superconducting matrix capable of supporting large current densities.

Abstract: A three-dimensionally shaped aromatic imide polymer sheet article is produced by a method comprising the steps of shaping an aromatic imide polymer sheet having a second order transition temperature of 250.degree. C. to 400.degree. C. and an ultimate elongation of 120% or more at 100.degree. C., by press-stretching at least a portion of the sheet at a temperature of 100.degree. C. or more, but not exceeding a temperature of 100.degree. C. higher than the second order transition temperature of the sheet, into a desired three-dimensional convex or concave form protruding from the sheet, heat-setting the resultant shaped sheet article in its shaped form at a temperature equal to or higher than the second order transition temperature of the sheet, and then cooling the heat-set sheet article to a desired low temperature.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming highly isotropic web products includes an elevator that adjustably positions a former head and an associated air and fiber supply with respect to a product condenser for varying the width and density of an isotropic web formed thereon. The process of the present invention includes selectively directing individual fibers into first and second vertical air curtains the first of which is intercepted by a backwardly inclined condenser for forming a first feed mat which is stripped to form the fiber supply for the second vertical air curtain and wherein the velocity and the height of the second vertical air curtain are controlled to control the density and width of a resultant isotropic web structure formed on a continuous belt type condenser.

Abstract: A process for forming a homogeneous sheet from particulate elements, (as herein defined), at least some of which have an inherent vertical mobility (as herein defined) in water at normal temperature and pressure of from about 1 to about 21 cms/sec, which comprises the steps of forming a foamed dispersion of said particulate elements, and depositing and draining said dispersion on a foraminous support.

Abstract: In a case of a process for producing pourable spherical-segment-shaped packing material particles made of a plastic material which have an external convex and an internal concave surface, the plastic material is fed in by means of a feeding funnel through an opening in a bush surrounding the extrusion screw. The plastic material is plasticized and, because of the difference in speed existing over the cross section of the mass, comes out of an opening in the die with a bent surface. The extruded plastic material is cut off directly at the opening of the die and before any considerable expansion has taken place. In this case, the plastic material is pulled into a space between the extrusion screw and a bush (28) provided with longitudinal grooves (35) in the material pull-in zone (13). The result is a possibility for some of the plastic granules to escape into the longitudinal grooves (35) and an increased and steadier transport of material through the extruder (FIG. 1).