Abstract: A method for preparing ultra-fine grain titanium or titanium-alloy articles used for adjoining or assembling of detail components. Coarse-grained titanium or titanium-alloy materials typically are heated and forced under constant pressure through a friction stir processing tooling device containing a stirring chamber and a stirring rod. As the material is passed through the stirring chamber, the stirring rod solutionizes the titanium or titanium-alloy material and stirs the material to obtain a homogeneous or uniform material condition. As the processed material exits the stirring chamber of the friction stir process tooling device, it reconsolidates as an extremely homogeneous structure possessing ultra-fine grain structure. Titanium or titanium-alloy materials having been processed to achieve such ultra-fine grain material structure may then be manufactured into aerospace structural articles or components such as fasteners or articles that do not require a subsequent thermal or heat-treatment steps.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy, aircraft structural component having a faying surface prepared by treating with one or more curable organic coatings, one or more of which is optionally in an encapsulated state, and delivering a uniform coating on demand by rupturing and curing the encapsulated coating.

Abstract: A method for preparing ultra-fine grain titanium or titanium-alloy articles used for adjoining or assembling of detail components. Coarse-grained titanium or titanium-alloy materials typically are heated and forced under constant pressure through a friction stir processing tooling device containing a stirring chamber and a stirring rod. As the material is passed through the stirring chamber, the stirring rod solutionizes the titanium or titanium-alloy material and stirs the material to obtain a homogeneous or uniform material condition. As the processed material exits the stirring chamber of the friction stir process tooling device, it reconsolidates as an extremely homogeneous structure possessing ultra-fine grain structure. Titanium or titanium-alloy materials having been processed to achieve such ultra-fine grain material structure may then be manufactured into aerospace structural articles or components such as fasteners or articles that do not require a subsequent thermal or heat-treatment steps.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy, aircraft structural component having a faying surface prepared by treating with one or more curable organic coatings, one or more of which is optionally in an encapsulated state, and delivering a uniform coating on demand by rupturing and curing the encapsulated coating.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the direct measurement and quantification of the material volume loss on and beneath a first surface of a substrate and thus provides an accurate depiction of the profile of the substrate. The method of the invention comprises inducing multiple eddy currents in a test substrate to determine volume loss.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy, aircraft structural component having a faying surface prepared by treating with one or more curable organic coatings, one or more of which is optionally in an encapsulated state, and delivering a uniform coating on demand by rupturing and curing the encapsulated coating.

Abstract: A fastener for fastening and joining sections of composite material together is disclosed comprising a substantially cylindrical core component and substantially cylindrical hollow sleeve component, one or both of which are pre-coated with a curable organic coating, and methods of fastening aircraft components together using such fasteners.

Abstract: A ferrous-alloy aircraft structural component such as a fastener is prepared by providing a ferrous-alloy component precursor that is not in its final heat-treated state, and coating with an aluminum-containing, curable organic coating material having a non-volatile portion that is predominantly organic and is curable at about the ferrous-alloy component's tempering temperature. The coated, ferrous-alloy is then tempered to concurrently impart predetermined metallurgical properties to the finished, ferrous-alloy material, and cure the organic, aluminum-containing coating.

Abstract: A fastener for fastening and joining sections of composite material together is disclosed comprising a substantially cylindrical core component and substantially cylindrical hollow sleeve component, one or both of which are pre-coated with a curable organic coating, and methods of fastening aircraft components together using such fasteners.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy, aircraft structural component having a faying surface prepared by treating with one or more curable organic coatings, one or more of which is optionally in an encapsulated state, and delivering a uniform coating on demand by rupturing and curing the encapsulated coating.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy article such as a fastener is prepared by providing an aluminum-alloy article precursor that is not in its final heat-treated state, and in one form is in its solution treated/annealed state. A curable organic coating material is also provided. The method includes anodizing the article precursor, preferably in chromic acid solution and without chemical sealing during anodizing, applying the organic coating material to the aluminum-alloy article precursor, and precipitation heat-treating the coated aluminum article precursor to its final heat-treated state, thereby simultaneously curing the organic coating. If the aluminum alloy temper is of the naturally aging type, it is optionally lightly deformed prior to precipitation treatment aging.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the direct measurement and quantification of the material volume loss on the surface of a substrate and thus provides an accurate depiction of the surface profile of the surface. The method of the invention comprises inducing eddy currents in a test substrate, measuring the magnitude of the eddy current produced within the substrate at a plurality of locations on the surface of the substrate, and converting the measured eddy current magnitudes at the locations to corresponding volume losses on the test surface using the eddy current magnitude measurements of a reference substrate having defects of predetermined volume loss. Typically, the measurements of the eddy current magnitude on the test surface are converted to actual volume losses by multiplying the measured eddy current magnitude for a sector of the test substrate by the area of the sector and a calibration factor (Cf) representing the volume per unit area eddy current magnitude.

Abstract: A ferrous-alloy aircraft structural component such as a fastener is prepared by providing a ferrous-alloy component precursor that is not in its final heat-treated state, and coating with an aluminum-containing, curable organic coating material having a non-volatile portion that is predominantly organic and is curable at about the ferrous-alloy component's tempering temperature. The coated, ferrous-alloy is then tempered to concurrently impart predetermined metallurgical properties to the finished, ferrous-alloy material, and cure the organic, aluminum-containing coating.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy article such as a fastener is prepared by providing an aluminum-alloy article precursor that is not in its final heat-treated state, and in one form is in its solution treated/annealed state. A curable organic coating material is also provided. The method includes anodizing the article precursor, preferably in chromic acid solution and without chemical sealing during anodizing, applying the organic coating material to the aluminum-alloy article precursor, and precipitation heat-treating the coated aluminum article precursor to its final heat-treated state, thereby simultaneously curing the organic coating. If the aluminum alloy temper is of the naturally aging type, it is optionally lightly deformed prior to precipitation treatment aging.

Abstract: An improved, pre-coated aluminum-alloy aircraft component prepared by providing an aluminum-alloy component precursor to a coating apparatus having a fluidized-bed or mist apparatus, suspending the components in the fluidized-bed apparatus vertically at a distance from the bottom of the apparatus and introducing a coating to the apparatus to coat the components while being suspended in the airstream flowing through the apparatus. The non-contact, fluidized-bed or mist coating method allows for the coating of increased batch sizes in shorter coating times with decreased variations in coating thickness and uniformity.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy article such as a fastener is prepared by providing an aluminum-alloy article that is not in its final heat-treated state, and is preferably in its annealed state. A curable organic coating material is also provided. The method includes applying the organic coating material to the aluminum-alloy article, and heat-treating the coated aluminum article to its final heat-treated state, thereby simultaneously curing the organic coating.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy article such as a fastener is prepared by providing an aluminum-alloy article precursor that is not in its final heat-treated state, and in one form is in its solution treated/annealed state. A curable organic coating material is also provided. The method includes anodizing the article precursor, preferably in chromic acid solution and without chemical sealing during anodizing, applying the organic coating material to the aluminum-alloy article precursor, and precipitation heat-treating the coated aluminum article precursor to its final heat-treated state, thereby simultaneously curing the organic coating. If the aluminum alloy temper is of the naturally aging type, it is optionally lightly deformed prior to precipitation treatment aging.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy article such as a fastener is prepared by providing an aluminum-alloy article precursor that is not in its final heat-treated state, and in one form is in its solution treated/annealed state. A curable organic coating material is also provided. The method includes anodizing the article precursor, preferably in chromic acid solution and without chemical sealing during anodizing, applying the organic coating material to the aluminum-alloy article precursor, and precipitation heat-treating the coated aluminum article precursor to its final heat-treated state, thereby simultaneously curing the organic coating. If the aluminum alloy temper is of the naturally aging type, it is optionally lightly deformed prior to precipitation treatment aging.

Abstract: A mechanical impact test is performed using an incremental mechanical loading apparatus having a loading head movable in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a stationary cross piece. A starter specimen is mounted between the loading head and the stationary cross piece, such that the starter specimen extends in the first direction from the loading head and the movement of the loading head in the second direction applies a tensile load to the starter specimen. A test specimen is mounted to the loading head such that a mechanical reaction force generated by the breaking of the starter specimen is imparted from the starter specimen to the test specimen. To perform the test, the loading head of the incremental mechanical loading apparatus is moved in the second direction such that the starter specimen is loaded to failure, with the result that the failure of the starter specimen causes the application of an impact force to the test specimen.

Abstract: An aluminum-alloy article such as a fastener is prepared by providing an aluminum-alloy article that is not in its final heat-treated state, and is preferably in its annealed state. A curable organic coating material is also provided. The method includes applying the organic coating material to the aluminum-alloy article, and heat-treating the coated aluminum article to its final heat-treated state, thereby simultaneously curing the organic coating.