Abstract: A blade of ceramic material is treated to enhance the strength and sharpness of the cutting edge. In one embodiment, ceramic particles along at least one margin of an edge-forming face are fused, such as by a laser treatment. The edge margin can have a hard ceramic coating of a different ceramic material such as a nitride of chromium, zirconium, titanium, titanium carbon or boron. The hard ceramic coating can be used alone or in conjunction with the laser treatment. The invention includes the methods of treating the edge, both to form the hard ceramic coating and to fuse the particles by scanning with a laser, such as an ultraviolet laser.

Abstract: A blade of ceramic material is treated to enhance the strength and sharpness of the cutting edge. In one embodiment, ceramic particles along at least one margin of an edge-forming face are fused, such as by a laser treatment. The edge mardin can have a hard ceramic coating of a different ceramic material such as a nitride of chromium, zirconium, titanium, titanium carbon or boron. The hard ceramic coating can be used alone or in conjunction with the laser treatment. The invention includes the methods of treating the edge, both to form the hard ceramic coating and to fuse the particles by scanning with laser, such as an ultraviolet laser.

Abstract: A blade of ceramic material is treated to enhance the strength and sharpness of the cutting edge. In one embodiment, ceramic particles along at least one margin of an edge-forming face are fused, such as by a laser treatment. The edge mardin can have a hard ceramic coating of a different ceramic material such as a nitride of chromium, zirconium, titanium, titanium carbon or boron. The hard ceramic coating can be used alone or in conjunction with the laser treatment. The invention includes the methods of treating the edge, both to form the hard ceramic coating and to fuse the particles by scanning with laser, such as an ultraviolet laser.

Abstract: Diammonium hydrazinium tetraperchlorate is made by reacting an ammonium compound and a hydrazinium compound preferably in a 2:1 molar ratio with perchloric acid using aqueous perchloric acid containing about 60% to 70% by weight of the acid as a reaction medium. The diammonium hydrazinium tetraperchlorate crystallizes from the solution and may be recovered therefrom by filtration, decantation or centrifuging. The tetraperchlorate formed is useful as the oxidizer component of solid rocket propellants, pyrotechnic compositions and gas generators.

Abstract: 1. A low detonation velocity explosive consisting essentially of a particulate mixture of ortho-boric acid and trinitrotoluene, said mixture containing from about 25 percent to about 65 percent by weight of ortho-boric acid, said ortho-boric acid comprised of from 60 percent to 90 percent of spherical particles having a mean particle size of about 275 microns and 10 percent to 40 percent of spherical particles having a particle size less than about 44 microns.