Patents Examined by Rebecca Lee
  • Patent number: 9103011
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy component including solution heat treating a forged Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy component at a temperature within the alpha+beta two-phase field for the material of the component for a predetermined period of time, and subsequently cooling the component. The component is then age heat treated using an overaging process at a predetermined overaging temperature for a predetermined time, and the component is cooled to room temperature. The overaging temperature is selected to be a higher temperature than an aging heat treatment temperature for effecting a maximum yield strength in the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin C. Sheehan, Kenneth Kirch Starr, Brij B. Seth
  • Patent number: 9103041
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for improving surface properties of the stainless steels for bipolar plate of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell having low interfacial contact resistance and excellent corrosion resistance. The method for improving surface properties of the stainless steels according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: pickling a stainless steel with an aqueous sulfuric acid solution, the stainless steel comprising, by weight: C: 0.02% or less, N: 0.02% or less, Si: 0.4% or less, Mn: 0.2% or less, P: 0.04% or less, S: 0.02% or less, Cr: 25-32%, Mo: 0.1 to 5%, Cu: 0.1 to 2%, Ti: 0.5% or less, Nb: 0.5% or less, and the balance of Fe and other inevitable elements, and then washing the stainless steel with water, and then immersing the stainless steel in a mixture solution of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid to form a passivation layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: POSCO
    Inventors: Jeong He-Lee, Young Hwan Kim, Jong Hee Kim
  • Patent number: 9096915
    Abstract: A method of production of an aluminum alloy inhibiting oxidation loss of the alloy melt without the use of Be which is liable to affect the human health. When preparing an aluminum alloy melt containing Mg, the method adds to the alloy, Ca, Sr, and/or Ba in a composition ratio within a range enclosed by lines connecting four points illustrated in FIG. 1 of a point A (Ca: 18 at %, Sr: 0 at %, and Ba: 82 at %), point B (Ca: 14 at %, Sr: 34 at %, and Ba: 52 at %), point C (Ca: 33.8 at %, Sr: 66.2 at %, and Ba: 0 at %), point D (Ca: 100 at %, Sr: 0 at %, and Ba: 0 at %) and excluding point D so as to adjust the Ca, Sr, and Ba components in the melt to include Ca: 0.001 to 0.5 mass % and one or both of Sr: 0.01 to 2.8 mass % and Ba: 0.01 to 7.83 mass %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: NIPPON LIGHT METAL COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hisakazu Ito
  • Patent number: 9074818
    Abstract: A method and apparatus to increase the cooling rate of gas used in a batch annealing furnace of cold rolling mills under bypass cooling. The invention makes use of the higher heat transfer capacities of nanocoolants developed by a high-shear mixing of nanoparticles and stabilizers in a basic aqueous medium for cooling heated hydrogen flowing through a heat exchanger during bypass cooling of the batch annealing furnace. The nanofluid is prepared in a nanofluid preparation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Tata Steel Limited
    Inventors: Jayabrata Bhadurt, Deb Roy, Subhrakanti Chakraborty, Shantanu Chakraborty, Sumitesh Das, Debashish Bhattacharjee
  • Patent number: 9076584
    Abstract: Provided are a powder for a magnet, which provides a rare-earth magnet having excellent magnet properties and which has excellent formability, a method for producing the powder for a magnet, a powder compact, a rare-earth-iron-based alloy material, and a rare-earth-iron-nitrogen-based alloy material which are used as materials for the magnet, and methods for producing the powder compact and these alloy materials. Magnetic particles 1 constituting the powder for a magnet each have a texture in which grains of a phase 3 of a hydride of a rare-earth element are dispersed in a phase 2 of an iron-containing material, such as Fe. The uniform presence of the phase 2 of the iron-containing material in each magnetic particle 1 results in the powder having excellent formability, thereby providing a powder compact 4 having a high relative density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Toru Maeda
  • Patent number: 9067258
    Abstract: A forging apparatus and method of uniformly heating, rheologically softening, and thermoplastically forming metallic glasses rapidly into a net shape using a rapid capacitor discharge forming (RCDF) tool are provided. The RCDF method utilizes the discharge of electrical energy stored in a capacitor to uniformly and rapidly heat a sample or charge of metallic glass alloy to a predetermined “process temperature” between the glass transition temperature of the amorphous material and the equilibrium melting point of the alloy in a time scale of several milliseconds or less. Once the sample is uniformly heated such that the entire sample block has a sufficiently low process viscosity it may be shaped into high quality amorphous bulk articles via forging in a time frame of less than 1 second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Georg Kaltenboeck, Joseph P. Schramm, Marios D. Demetriou, William L. Johnson
  • Patent number: 9068239
    Abstract: A forming tool and a method for the press-hardening and tempered forming of a blank from high and/or very high strength steels are provided, in which the blank is heated before the tempered forming and then formed hot or semi-hot in a forming tool, wherein the forming tool has means for tempering. This is achieved in that the forming tool makes precisely defined temperature guidance of the blank during forming, and in that a plurality of controllable means are provided in the forming tool for tempering the forming tool, by which a plurality of temperature zones can be tempered in the forming tool, wherein at least contact surfaces of forming tool elements used for the tempered forming are allocated to individual temperature zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG
    Inventors: Franz-Josef Lenze, Sascha Sikora
  • Patent number: 9062357
    Abstract: A cold rolled strip (3) of aluminum is continuously transported along a transport path where a ramp of Direct Flame Impingement (DFI) burners (1) are located, for heating the strip. The ramp (1) is located perpendicular, or substantially perpendicular, to the direction of movement of the strip (3), the DFI burners (1) are mutually located such that the whole width of the strip (3) is heated to the same, or substantially the same, temperature. The velocity of the strip (3) passing the ramp and the heating power of the burners (1) are adapted to heat treat the strip (3) such that annealing of the strip is carried out and the heat treated strip is wound to a coil (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: LINDE AG
    Inventors: Henrik Gripenberg, Johannes Lodin, Lennart Rangmark, Ola Ritzén, Sören Wiberg
  • Patent number: 9059468
    Abstract: A positive electrode current collector for lead-acid batteries contains a current collector substrate of titanium or a titanium alloy, a coating of titanium oxide formed on the surface of the current collector substrate, and a conductive ceramic layer formed on the surface of the coating, and the thickness of the coating is 0.09 ?m or thinner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: GS YUASA INTERNATIONAL
    Inventor: Kohei Fujita
  • Patent number: 9057121
    Abstract: Methods for the manufacture of the above-mentioned titanium alloy for use in combustion engine exhaust systems are disclosed herein. An exemplary method of the disclosed subject matter for the manufacture of titanium alloy for use in a high temperature and high stress environment includes performing a first heat treatment of the titanium alloy at a first temperature, rolling the titanium alloy to a desired thickness, performing a second heat treatment of the titanium alloy at a second temperature, and performing a third heat treatment of the titanium alloy at a third temperature. In some embodiments, the first temperature is selected such that recrystallization and softening of the titanium alloy is optimized without substantial coarsening of second phase particles and can be approximately 1500-1600° F. In some embodiments, the rolling of the titanium alloy reduces the thickness of the titanium alloy by at least than 65%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Titanium Metals Corporation
    Inventors: Yoji Kosaka, Stephen P. Fox
  • Patent number: 9057133
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing solution used for forming a hexavalent chromium free, black conversion film, which is applied onto the surface of zinc or zinc alloy plating layers, and which has corrosion resistance identical to or higher than that achieved by the conventional hexavalent chromium-containing conversion film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: DIPSOL CHEMICALS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Manabu Inoue, Ryo Nakajima, Kimitaka Watanabe, Toyoji Watanabe, Fumie Watanabe, Yutaka Watanabe, Takeshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9048495
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cathode active material coated with a fluorine compound for lithium secondary batteries. The cathode active material is structurally stable, and improves the charge-discharge characteristics, cycle characteristics, high-voltage characteristics, high-rate characteristics and thermal stability of batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: ENERCERAMIC INC.
    Inventors: Yang Kook Sun, Woo Seong Kim, Jung Min Han
  • Patent number: 9044831
    Abstract: A method of joining using a supporting electrode 4 having a cooling circuit and a pressure electrode 8 movably arranged above the supporting electrode, using a steel material causing martensitic transformation for one of or both of a first member 20 having an opening portion and a second member 24, engaging the second member with the opening portion of the first member, starting conduction from a power supply to the supporting electrode and the pressure electrode, allowing an insertion portion of the second member to enter the opening portion of the first member by a pressure force of the pressure electrode, causing the second member and an inner wall portion of the opening portion to be subjected to solid-phase diffusion joining, rapidly cooling the both members by thermal conduction of the supporting electrode after the joining, and quenching a joined portion and generating compressive residual stress by the rapid cooling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: OHASHI TECHNICA, INC.
    Inventors: Akira Nozue, Osamu Kimpara
  • Patent number: 9048004
    Abstract: Thermoelectric materials and methods of making thermoelectric materials having a nanometer mean grain size less than 1 micron. The method includes combining and arc melting constituent elements of the thermoelectric material to form a liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material and casting the liquid alloy of the thermoelectric material to form a solid casting of the thermoelectric material. The method also includes ball milling the solid casting of the thermoelectric material into nanometer mean size particles and sintering the nanometer size particles to form the thermoelectric material having nanometer scale mean grain size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Inventors: Zhifeng Ren, Xiao Yan, Giri Joshi, Shuo Chen, Gang Chen, Bed Poudel, James Christopher Caylor
  • Patent number: 9039806
    Abstract: The invention provides a recycling step in an oxidative pressure leaching process for recovery of metals using halide ions, in which a portion of the leached solids are recycled back to the feed to the autoclave, to allow two or more passes through the high temperature leaching step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: International PGM Technologies
    Inventors: David B. Dreisinger, Chris A. Fleming
  • Patent number: 9034124
    Abstract: A metal laminated substrate for an oxide superconducting wire is manufactured such that a non-magnetic metal plate T1 having a thickness of not more than 0.2 mm and a metal foil T2 made of Cu alloy which is formed by cold rolling at a draft of not less than 90% and has a thickness of not more than 50 ?m is laminated to each other by room-temperature surface active bonding, after lamination, crystal of the metal foil is oriented by heat treatment at a temperature of not less than 150° C. and not more than 1000° C. and, thereafter, an epitaxial growth film T3 made of Ni or an Ni alloy having a thickness of not more than 10 ?m is laminated to the metal foil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignees: TOYO KOHAN CO., LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironao Okayama, Akira Kaneko, Takeshi Kato, Masaya Konishi
  • Patent number: 9034246
    Abstract: A method of forming a component (30) by isostatic pressing, the method comprising: providing a canister (4) suitable for isostatic pressing, the canister comprising first and second membranes (14, 16) which, in use, are disposed within the canister (4); the first and second membranes (14, 16) defining a component cavity (24) disposed between the first and second membranes (14, 16), a first tool cavity (26) disposed between the first membrane (14) and an adjacent wall (10) of the canister (4), and a second tool cavity (28) disposed between the second membrane (16) and another adjacent wall (12) of the canister (4); filling the component cavity (24) with the component powder for forming the component (30); filling the first and second tool cavities (26, 28) with a second tool powder; and isostatically pressing the canister (4) to form the component (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE plc
    Inventor: Wayne E. Voice
  • Patent number: 9021685
    Abstract: An annealing process for a TMR or GMR sensor having an amorphous free layer is disclosed and employs at least two annealing steps. A first anneal at a temperature T1 of 200° C. to 270° C. and for a t1 of 0.5 to 15 hours is employed to develop the pinning in the AFM and pinned layers. A second anneal at a temperature T2 of 260° C. to 400° C. where T2>T1 and t1>t2 is used to crystallize the amorphous free layer and complete the pinning. An applied magnetic field of about 8000 Oe is used during both anneal steps. The mechanism for forming a sensor with high MR and robust pinning may involve structural change in the tunnel barrier or at an interface between two of the layers in the spin valve stack. A MgO tunnel barrier and a CoFe/CoB free layer are preferred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Headway Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tong Zhao, Hui-Chuan Wang, Kunliang Zhang, Min Li
  • Patent number: 9011573
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the recycling of steel industry iron bearing by-products into a shape suitable for feeding into a direct reduction furnace, comprising the steps of mixing and grinding 50 to 99 wt % of ore and pellet fines and 1 to 50 wt % of slurry, mill scale and/or bag house dust, pelletizing the mixture and indurating the pellets so obtained by heating for 5-60 minutes at a temperature in the range of 1100-1350° C.; and a pellet produced from Iron bearing waste material and having compression strength of at least 2.8 kN and/or a drop number of at least 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Saudi Basic Industries Corporation
    Inventors: Syed Niaz Ahsan, Fazal-Ur-Rehman Awan, Ali Al-Hazemi, Fawzi Al-Dulaijan
  • Patent number: 9005519
    Abstract: This invention relates to power metallurgical material, production method and application thereof. A metallurgy powder material with pressure-proof & good compactness, satisfactory to the component content requirements for 316 stainless steel, wherein, 5˜9% (by weight) of Fe3P (or Fe3PO4). The powder metallurgical material has properties of pressure resistance and corrosion resistance, and excellent compactness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Shanghai Xingluo Special Seals Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hongqi Chen, Jingtao Fei