Patents by Inventor Laurance L. Oden

Laurance L. Oden 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: 5799238
    Abstract: A method making a titanium ceramic composite involves forming a hot pressed powder body having a microstructure comprising at least one titanium metal or alloy layer and at least one ceramic particulate reinforced titanium metal or alloy layer and hot forging the hot pressed body follwed by hot rolling to substantially reduce a thickness dimension and substantially increase a lateral dimension thereof to form a composite plate or sheet that retains in the microstructure at least one titanium based layer and at least one ceramic reinforced titanium based layer in the thickness direction of the composite plate or sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: George T. Fisher, II, Jeffrey S. Hansen, Laurance L. Oden, Paul C. Turner, Thomas L. Ochs
  • Patent number: 5613244
    Abstract: A process for preparing radioactive and other hazardous liquid wastes for treatment by the method of vitrification or melting is provided for.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: United States of America
    Inventors: Laurance L. Oden, Paul C. Turner, William K. O'Connor, Jeffrey S. Hansen
  • Patent number: 5455079
    Abstract: A process for forming a hard surface coating on titanium alloys includes providing a piece of material containing titanium having at least a portion of one surface to be hardened. The piece having a portion of a surface to be hardened is contacted on the backside by a suitable heat sink such that the melting depth of said surface to be hardened may be controlled. A hardening material is then deposited as a slurry. Alternate methods of deposition include flame, arc, or plasma spraying, electrodeposition, vapor deposition, or any other deposition method known by those skilled in the art. The surface to be hardened is then selectively melted to the desired depth, dependent on the desired coating thickness, such that a molten pool is formed of the piece surface and the deposited hardening material. Upon cooling a hardened surface is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventors: Laurance L. Oden, Paul C. Turner
  • Patent number: 5387273
    Abstract: A process for removing copper in a recoverable form from a copper/solid ferrous scrap metal mix is disclosed. The process begins by placing a copper/solid ferrous scrap metal mix into a reactor vessel. The atmosphere within the reactor vessel is purged with an inert gas or oxidizing while the reactor vessel is heated in the area of the copper/solid ferrous scrap metal mix to raise the temperature within the reactor vessel to a selected elevated temperature. Air is introduced into the reactor vessel and thereafter hydrogen chloride is introduced into the reactor vessel to obtain a desired air-hydrogen chloride mix. The air-hydrogen chloride mix is operable to form an oxidizing and chloridizing atmosphere which provides a protective oxide coating on the surface of the solid ferrous scrap metal in the mix and simultaneously oxidizes/chloridizes the copper in the mix to convert the copper to a copper monochloride gas for transport away from the solid ferrous scrap metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventors: Alan D. Hartman, Laurance L. Oden, Jack C. White
  • Patent number: 5366817
    Abstract: A corrosion resistant electrically conductive coating on steel anode studs used in the production of aluminum by electrolysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventors: Laurance L. Oden, Jack C. White, James A. Ramsey
  • Patent number: 5259862
    Abstract: A continuous process for producing a granular metal selected from the group consisting of Ti, Zr or Hf under conditions that provide orderly growth of the metal free of halide inclusions comprising:a) dissolving a reducing metal selected from the group consisting of Na, Mg, Li or K in their respective halide salts to produce a reducing molten salt stream;b) preparing a second molten salt stream containing the halide salt of Ti, Zr or Hf;c) mixing and reacting the two molten streams of steps a) and b) in a continuous stirred tank reactor;d) wherein steps a) through c) are conducted at a temperature range of from about 800.degree. C. to about 1100.degree. C. so that a weight percent of equilibrium solubility of the reducing metal in its respective halide salt varies from about 1.6 weight percent at about 900.degree. C. to about 14.4 weight percent at about 1062.degree. C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventors: Jack C. White, Laurance L. Oden
  • Patent number: 5256368
    Abstract: A pressure-reaction synthesis process for producing increased stiffness and improved strength-to-weight ratio titanium metal matrix composite materials comprising exothermically reacting a titanium powder or titanium powder alloys with non-metal powders or gas selected from the group consisting of C, B, N, BN, B.sub.4 C, SiC and Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 at temperatures from about 900.degree. to about 1300.degree. C., for about 5 to about 30 minutes in a forming die under pressures of from about 1000 to 5000 psi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventors: Laurance L. Oden, Thomas L. Ochs, Paul C. Turner
  • Patent number: 5110546
    Abstract: A method of determining the location and history of metallic nitride and/or oxynitride inclusions in metallic melts. The method includes the steps of labeling metallic nitride and/or oxynitride inclusions by making a coreduced metallic-hafnium sponge from a mixture of hafnium chloride and the chloride of a metal, reducing the mixed chlorides with magnesium, nitriding the hafnium-labeled metallic-hafnium sponge, and seeding the sponge to be melted with hafnium-labeled nitride inclusions. The ingots are neutron activated and the hafnium is located by radiometric means. Hafnium possesses exactly the proper metallurgical and radiochemical properties for this use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 5, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventors: Jack C. White, Davis E. Traut, Laurance L. Oden, Roman A. Schmitt
  • Patent number: 4498928
    Abstract: A two-phase ductile iron-based alloy which is resistant to oxidation and fidation at high temperatures is disclosed. The alloy contains from about 8 to 20 wt % of Cr; about 6 to 30 wt % of Ni; about 3 to 11.5 wt % of Al; and 0 to 2 wt % of Mo; about 0 to 1 wt % of Si; about 0 to 2 wt % of Mn; about to 0 to 0.1 wt % of C; about 0 to 0.02 wt % of S; about 0 to 0.02 wt % of P; about 0 to 1 wt % of Ti; about 0 to 2 wt % of Nb and Ta; and the balance of Fe. The atomic ratio of nickel to aluminum is between 0.8 and 1.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1985
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Interior
    Inventors: Laurance L. Oden, John S. Dunning
  • Patent number: 4175954
    Abstract: A method of preparing a Raney metal alloy which is capable of self-disintegrating when contacted with water vapor. The self-disintegrating property is imparted to the alloy by incorporating into the alloy from 0.4 to 0.8 weight percent carbon. The alloy is useful in forming powder which can be converted to a Raney metal catalyst with increased surface area and catalytic activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1979
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Laurance L. Oden, James H. Russell
  • Patent number: 4049580
    Abstract: A method for making a supported Raney nickel catalyst by coating a nickel substrate with aluminum or aluminum-nickel alloy, heat treating the coated substrate above the melting point of aluminum but below 1133.degree. C, quenching at a temperature below 854.degree. C to form NiAl.sub.3 as a solid phase in the substrate. The Raney nickel alloy coating is activated in the usual manner by leaching with sodium hydroxide solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1976
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventors: Laurance L. Oden, Philip E. Sanker, James H. Russell
  • Patent number: 4043946
    Abstract: A method for making a supported Raney nickel catalyst by casting molten aluminum heated to about 850.degree. C around a nickel substrate in a mold heated to about 1,050.degree. C, retaining the metals in the mold at 1,050.degree. C for about 30 seconds, allowing the mold to cool to ambient temperature, removing the casting from the mold and activating it by leaching with hot sodium hydroxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior
    Inventors: Philip E. Sanker, Laurance L. Oden, James H. Russell