Patents by Inventor Francis H. Froes

Francis H. Froes has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4851053
    Abstract: A method to produce titanium alloy articles having high creep resistance which comprises the steps of:(a) providing a titanium alloy material containing at least one dispersoid forming alloy addition:(b) hydrogenating the alloy material to a level of about 0.1 to 4.0 weight percent hydrogen;(c) introducing the resulting hydrogenated material into a mold;(d) hot compacting the alloy material in the mold to produce a substantially fully dense article;(e) beta heat treating the compacted article; and,(f) dehydrogenating the article.Following heat treatment, the microstructure in the article will be lenticular transformed beta which is highly creep resistant, while size of the dispersoid will be approximately the same as before the heat treatment, due to the relatively low beta treatment temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Francis H. Froes, Daniel Eylon
  • Patent number: 4851193
    Abstract: An improved alloy consisting essentially of about 6 to 10 weight percent Fe, about 2 to 10 weight percent Gd, balance Al. The alloy may also contain minor amounts of one or more refractory metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Yashwant R. Mahajan, Young-Won Kim, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4851055
    Abstract: A method for producing an integral titanium alloy article having at least two regions, each region having a distinct microstructure is provided. The method comprises heat treating one or more selected region(s) of the article at a temperature greater than the beta-transus temperature of the region(s), while simultaneously heat treating the remaining region(s) of the article at a temperature below the beta-transus temperature of the remaining region(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4832760
    Abstract: A method for improving the microstructure of prealloyed titanium alloy compacted articles which comprises the steps of hydrogenating the article at a temperature of about 780.degree. to 1020.degree. C. to a hydrogen level of about 0.50 to 1.50 weight percent, cooling the thus-hydrogenated article to room temperature at a controlled rate, heating the thus-cooled, hydrogenated article to a temperature of about 650.degree. to 750.degree. C. and applying a vacuum to dehydrogenate the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4828793
    Abstract: A method for producing an integral titanium alloy article having at least o regions, each region having a distinct microstructure, which comprises the steps of(a) providing a suitable mold for the article;(b) introducing a first titanium alloy into a first portion of the mold;(c) introducing a second titanium alloy in powder form into a second portion of the mold; and(d) hot compacting the first and second alloys in the mold to produce a substantially fully dense article.The second alloy may be the hydrided version of the first alloy, or may have a different overall composition from the first alloy, or may be hydrided and have a different overall composition from the first alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1989
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Francis H. Froes, Daniel Eylon
  • Patent number: 4822432
    Abstract: A method for improving the microstructure of consolidated titanium alloy metal matrix composites which comprises the steps of(a) heating the composite to a temperature in the range of 800.degree. to 2000.degree. F., the temperature being below the temperature at which interfacial reactions occur between the metal matrix and the fiber, and diffusing hydrogen into the composite to achieve a hydrogen level of about 0.50 to 1.50 weight percent;(b) altering the temperature of the composite to a transformation temperature at or near the temperature of transformation of (HCP) alpha in the hydrogenated composite to (BCC) beta;(c) cooling the composite to room temperature;(d) heating the thus-cooled composite to a temperature below the transformation temperature, and diffusing hydrogen out from the composite; and(e) cooling the composite to room temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4820360
    Abstract: A method for improving the microstructure of cast titanium alloy articles which comprises the steps of hydrogenating the cast article at a temperature near or above the titanium-hydrogen eutectoid of 815.degree. C. (of about 780.degree. to 1020.degree. C.) to a hydrogen level of about 0.50 to 1.50 weight percent, cooling the thus-hydrogenated article to room temperature at a controlled rate, heating the thus-cooled, hydrogenated article to a temperature of about 650.degree. to 750.degree. C., applying a vacuum to dehydrogenate the article, and cooling the thus-dehydrogenated article at a controlled rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes, Charles F. Yolton
  • Patent number: 4809903
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an improved titanium alloy composite consisting of at least one high strength/high stiffness filament or fiber embedded in an alpha-beta titanium alloy matrix which comprises the steps of providing a rapidly-solidified foil made of a rich metastable beta titanium alloy, fabricating a preform consisting of alternating layers of the rapidly-solidified foil and the filamentary material, and applying heat and pressure to consolidate the preform, wherein consolidation is carried out at a temperature below the beta-transus temperature of the alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1989
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4807798
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an improved titanium alloy composite consisting of at least one high strength/high stiffness filament or fiber embedded in an alpha-beta titanium alloy matrix which comprises the steps of providing a rapidly-solidified foil made of a lean metastable beta titanium alloy, fabricating a preform consisting of alternating layers of the rapidly-solidified foil and the filamentary material, and applying heat and pressure to consolidate the preform, wherein consolidation is carried out at a temperature below the beta-transus temperature of the alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4808250
    Abstract: A method for improving the microstructure of blended elemental titanium alloy compacted articles which comprises the steps of hydrogenating the article at a temperature of about 780.degree. to 1020.degree. C. to a hydrogen level of about 0.50 to 1.50 weight percent, cooling the thus-hydrogenated article to room temperature at a controlled rate, heating the thus-cooled, hydrogenated article to a temperature of about 650.degree. to 750.degree. C. and applying a vacuum to dehydrogenate the article, and cooling the thus-dehydrogenated article to room temperature at a controlled rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Francis H. Froes, Daniel Eylon
  • Patent number: 4808249
    Abstract: A method for producing an integral titanium alloy article having at least two regions, each region having a distinct microstructure is provided. The method comprises heat treating one or more selected region(s) of the article at a temperature greater than the beta-transus temperature of the region(s), while simultaneously heat treating the remaining region(s) of the article at a temperature below the beta-transus temperature of the remaining region(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4787943
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy containing about 2 to 6 weight percent titanium, about 3 to 11 weight percent of a rare earth of the Lanthanide Series and up to about 3 weight percent of at least one Group VIII metal, balance aluminum, is disclosed. The alloy is preferably prepared by rapid solidification in powder, particulate or ribbon form, and is subsequently compacted under controlled conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1988
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Yashwant R. Mahajan, Susan D. Kirchoff, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4770850
    Abstract: A novel magnesium alloy consisting essentially of about 6 to 14 weight percent calcium, about 4 to 8 weight percent of copper or nickel, balance magnesium.There is also provided a process for producing a magnesium alloy article having improved properties which comprises the steps of providing a rapidly solidified product having the composition defined above and having a maximum average thickness of about 200 microns in at least one dimension, introducing the rapidly solidified product into a mold, and consolidating the rapidly solidified product to obtain a desired densification of the rapidly solidified product. Consolidation may be carried out by hot isostatic pressing (HIP'ing) the rapidly solidified product at a pressure of about 100 to 300 MPa and a temperature of about 150.degree. to 350.degree. C. for a time sufficient to obtain the desired densification. Alternatively, consolidation may be accomplished by extrusion using the same temperature range, and an extrusion ratio of about 10:1 to 30:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1988
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Franz J. Hehmann, Setumadhavan Krishnamurthy, Erica Robertson, Steven J. Savage, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4746374
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an improved titanium alloy composite consisting of at least one high strength/high stiffness filament or fiber embedded in a titanium-aluminum base alloy matrix which comprises the steps of providing a rapidly-solidified foil made of the titanium-aluminum base alloy, fabricating a preform consisting of alternating layers of the rapidly-solidified foil and the filamentary material, and applying heat and pressure to consolidate the preform, wherein consolidation is carried out at a temperature below the beta-transus temperature of the alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 24, 1988
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Francis H. Froes, Daniel Eylon
  • Patent number: 4733816
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an improved titanium alloy composite consisting of at least one high strength/high stiffness filament or fiber embedded in an alpha-beta titanium alloy matrix which comprises the steps of providing a rapidly-solidified foil made of an alpha-beta titanium alloy, fabricating a preform consisting of alternating layers of the rapidly-solidified foil and the filamentary material, and applying heat and pressure to consolidate the preform, wherein consolidation is carried out at a temperature below the beta-transus temperature of the alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1988
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4714587
    Abstract: A process for producing titanium alloy articles by Hot Isostatic Pressing of a rapidly-solidified titanium alloy powder is provided wherein such pressing is carried out at a pressure greater than 30 ksi, and a temperature of about 60 to 80 percent of the beta-transus temperature of the alloy, in degrees C. Hot Isostatic Pressing under these conditions allows retention of the fine microstructure of the rapidly-solidified powder. The compacted article may be subjected to heat treatment to alter its microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1987
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4680063
    Abstract: The microstructure of forged titanium alloy components is improved by beta-transus heat treating the components, hydrogenating the components at an elevated temperature, cooling the thus-hydrogenated components to room temperature, dehydrogenating the components at an elevated temperature and cooling the dehydrogenated components to room temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1987
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Russell G. Vogt, Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4655855
    Abstract: The microstructure of titanium alloy powder compacts is refined and improved by a method which comprises beta solution heat treating the compact, hydrogenating and then dehydrogenating the compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1987
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Lev Levin, Russell G. Vogt, Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4612066
    Abstract: The microstructure of cast titanium alloy articles is improved by a method which comprises beta solution heat treating the article, followed by hydrogenating and then dehydrogenating the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1985
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1986
    Inventors: Lev Levin, Russell G. Vogt, Daniel Eylon, Francis H. Froes
  • Patent number: 4548903
    Abstract: A method for revealing the microstructure of metal alloys which comprises the steps of polishing the sample, chemically etching the polished metal surface, thermally etching the chemically etched surface and quenching the thermally etched sample. This method allows observation of deformed and recrystallized grains on the same polished surface and provides the opportunity to correlate recrystallized grains to their nucleation sites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: October 22, 1985
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
    Inventors: Isaac Weiss, Francis H. Froes, Daniel Eylon