Abstract: Two-phase Al--Si alloy foils are made directly from Al--Si alloy powders by hot pressing. These Al--Si alloy foils are characterized by having a thickness of 0.017 in. or less, and by the fact that they are fine-grained and substantially free of oxygen, nitrogen and deformation-induced defects. The as-pressed Al--Si foils where the primary phase is the Al solid-solution phase are also generally ductile and adapted for subsequent forming operations, including cold rolling. The reduction in thickness imparted in a single pass to an Al-11.6Si alloy foil through cold-rolling was at least about 10%, with up to about 90% reduction in thickness accomplished by a plurality of such passes. These reductions in thickness were accomplished without stress relief annealing, but such annealing may be employed if desirable for microstructural modification.

Abstract: Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Ni-base alloy foils are made directly from powders of these alloys by hot pressing. These ODS Ni-base alloy foils are characterized by having a thickness of 0.017 in. or less, and by the fact that they are fine-grained and substantially free of nitrogen and deformation induced defects. The as-pressed ODS Ni-base alloy foils are adapted for subsequent forming operations, including cold rolling. The reduction in thickness imparted in a single pass to an Ni-base alloy foil through cold-rolling was about 8%. The total reduction in thickness was about 55% based upon a plurality of such passes. For reductions in thickness greater than 20%, annealing is employed for stress relief.

Abstract: Metal alloy foils are made directly from metal alloy powders by hot pressing. These metal alloy foils are characterized by having a thickness of 0.017 in. or less, and by the fact that they are fine-grained and substantially free of oxygen, nitrogen and deformation-induced defects. In particular, Ti-base alloy foils having an average thickness of about 0.011 in. have been formed directly from Ti-base alloy powders. These as-pressed Ti-base alloy foils are also ductile and adapted for subsequent forming operations, including cold rolling. The deformation which may be imparted in a single pass through cold-rolling to these Ti-base alloy foils is at least about 5%, with up to about 45% deformation imparted to one of these alloys in multiple passes without stress relief annealing. Total reductions in thickness of up to 90% are achieved by a combination of cold-rolling and stress relief annealing.

Abstract: An apparatus for use in hot pressing metal alloy foils, such as by HIP, directly from metal alloy powders. The invention is a metal container with a cavity having near-net shape of a thin metal foil. The cavity may be lined with a diffusion inhibiting material, so as to inhibit the interdiffusion between the metal container and the metal alloy powder during hot pressing. The apparatus also may include an integrally formed orifice for evacuating the metal container.

Abstract: Ni-base alloy foils are made directly from Ni-base alloy powders by hot pressing. These Ni-base alloy foils are characterized by having a thickness of 0.017 in. or less, and by the fact that they are fine-grained and substantially free of oxygen, nitrogen and deformation-induced defects. The as-pressed Ni-base foils are generally ductile and adapted for subsequent forming operations, including cold rolling. The reduction in thickness imparted in a single pass to a Ni-base alloy foil through cold-rolling ranged from 4-10% depending on the alloy composition. The total reduction in thickness ranged from about 10-50% based upon a plurality of such passes. For reductions in thickness greater than about 10%, annealing is employed for stress relief.

Abstract: Dense superalloy foils are prepared by hot isostatically pressing a mixture of low melting alloy powders and high melting alloy powders at a temperature at least equal to or greater than three-quarters of the melting point of the low melting point alloy powder and below the melting point of the high melting point alloy powder, at a pressure of at least 10 thousand pounds per square inch for about one to five hours.

Abstract: A method for making metal alloy foils directly from metal alloy powder is described. The metal alloy foils are formed by the use of a combination of a means for heating and a means for pressing, such as a hot isostatic press, to densify a metal alloy powder so as to directly form a metal alloy foil. The metal alloy powder is contained within an apparatus which has a near-net shape of a foil, such that the application of heat and pressure will consolidate the metal powder and form the metal alloy foil. This method may be used to make metal foils out of a wide variety of metal alloys, particularly high temperature alloys, such as Ti-base, Ni-base, and B-base and Al-Si alloys. After the step with heating and pressing, the metal alloy foil is removed from the apparatus which is used to contain it, such as by the use of chemical etching or milling.

Abstract: The matrix is an alloy having an alpha-2 crystal form. The matrix is reinforced with silicon carbide filaments. To reduce the tendency of the matrix to form cracks due to the brittle nature of the interface with the SiC filaments, the surface of the filaments is coated with a beta phase stabilizer composition. Such a composition contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mo, Cr, W, Ta, Pd, Nb, Ag, Zr, Hf, V, Re, Ir, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Pt, Au, and Sn.

Abstract: A method for forming a composite having a matrix which is stronger and which is resistant to cracking is disclosed. The composite is reinforced by silicon carbide fibers. The silicon carbide fibers are first RF plasma-spray coated with a niobium metal and the matrix metal of titanium base alpha-2 crystal structure is next RF plasma-spray deposited over the niobium coated SiC fibers to form a layer of Ti base metal reinforced by SiC fibers. A plurality of layered structures are consolidated by heat and pressure into a composite structure.

Abstract: A method of altering the crystal form of an alloy is disclosed. To accomplish this change in crystal form, the concentrations of the more volatile constituents of the alloy are reduced and the concentration of the less volatile constituents is increased on a relative basis. The process may be carried out in forming a reinforced structure. For this purpose, an improved reinforced matrix and a method of forming it are taught. The reinforcement may be silicon carbide filaments or other reinforcing filaments. The matrix is a titanium 1421 alloy nominally containing 14 weight percent of aluminum and 21 weight percent of niobium. The matrix is formed by plasma-spray forming a powder of the alloy to impart to the alloy particles a superheat during the plasma-spraying as the particles traverse the plasma plume. As a result of the superheat, the alloy is changed in its composition to reduce the aluminum concentration and to increase the niobium and titanium concentrations on a relative basis.