Abstract: The present invention relates to directionally solidified, arsenic- and/or antimony-containing, multicrystalline silicon, a process for the production thereof and its use, and to solar cells containing this silicon and a process for the production thereof.

Abstract: High purity semiconductor foils, such as silicon foils useful in solar energy cells, are produced by treating an impure semiconductor foil with at least one reactive gas while in the crystallizing state.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing sintering active silicon nitride powders with low oxygen content by wet grinding a silicon nitride starting material, leaching the ground suspension with fluorine-free mineral acid, and separating off the purified silicon nitride powder.

Abstract: Highly pure silicon is produced by refining impure silicon to remove deleterious impurities by contacting a melt of the impure silicon with a reacitve gas which comprises a gaseous halogen compound mixed with steam, hydrogen or a stem/hydrogen mixture.

Abstract: To provide an electrode connection lead (8) made of tungsten positioned on he inside of a high-pressure discharge lamp (1,2) which contains a fill attacking niobium, while providing for a melt connection including niobium to the discharge vessel, to permit use of aluminum oxide ceramic for the discharge vessel--since niobium and aluminum oxide ceramic have approximately the same thermal coefficient of expansion--the tubular discharge vessel is formed with an end portion defining an abutment (5), against which an internal aluminum oxide ceramic disk (4) is seated, defining a recess (4a) within which a niobium sealing disk (6) is partly located. An identical external sealing disk (3) receives the remainder of the niobium sealing disk. An external current supply lead (7) of niobium is welded to the niobium sealing disk. The internal current supply lead (8) of tungsten, likewise, is welded to the niobium sealing disk.

Abstract: An overcase for needle packages is disclosed. The overcase includes a U-shaped bottom member and a U-shaped cover member. These members are slidably engaged with their respective shanks offset by 90.degree.. The shanks of the cover include depressed central panels which form guide surfaces. Cooperating guide shoulders are formed on the shanks of the bottom member. The lower ends of the cover member shanks carry projections engageable in recesses formed in the bottom member.

Abstract: A material resistant to high temperature melts of metal and salt which comprises a composite material containing silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon dioxide and silicon prepared by(a) suspending silicon powder in SiO.sub.2 sol to form a pourable mass,(b) molding a workpiece from said mass,(c) hardening the molded workpiece, and(d) nitriding the hardened workpiece in a nitrogen atmosphere to form silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride to a degree that SiO.sub.2 and elemental silicon remain detectable in the nitrided workpiece,is useful as the material of construction for crucibles and tools for confining, handling and treating melts of metals or salts.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing sewing machine needles, each having a needle shank with a point, a needle butt and a section between the shank and the butt, from a cylindrical length of wire constituting two coaxial connected needle blanks being of one-piece which are worked simultaneously such that two of the needles are formed therefrom arranged with points of the two needles facing each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of sewing machine needles from a cylindrical length of wire by form pressing a length of wire having a diameter which corresponds to the thickness of the needle butt, the wire is reduced to approximately the final cross sectional dimension over at least the length of the needle shank and the shoulder. The thread grooves are pressed in from the curved outer surfaces of the length of wire within the region of the needle shank. The reduction in cross section is effected by pressing opposite cross sections of wire material to form laterally protruding flat burrs. In between the flat burrs are transverse convex curved outer surfaces which lie within the final diameter. This intermediate form of the needle closely resembles its complete final shape. Several needle blanks, in particular two needle blanks, are attached together in the region of their points for simultaneous form pressing.

Abstract: A device for transporting bar-shaped workpieces, particularly blanks for sewing machine needles, between the stop positions of a follow-on tool, includes one or more transport spindles extending over the length of the follow-on tool and having a threaded section arranged for form-locked engagement with the workpiece, the threaded section being interrupted by a lead-less section in the region of a predetermined stop position, the lead-less section extending over an angle corresponding to a predetermined stop time.

Abstract: A die mold is disclosed for the manufacture of crate like containers having lateral walls at least the upper portion of which are double-walled to provide substantial stability to the container and strength to the container walls. The die mold includes a base plate, lateral wedges which move upwardly and downwardly at an angle to the vertical during opening and closing of the mold, and slider means which are positioned on the lateral wedges and are movable with respect to the lateral wedges in a reciprocal direction relative to the walls of the containers formed by the die mold. Holding means is provided for holding the slider means in the same position relative to the container during mold opening, and control means are provided to permit the slider means to move back from the container walls after the container has been moved a predetermined distance away from the base plate.