Alcan International Limited

Lanxide Technology Company, LP

Adam J Gesing

Ernest W Dewing

Narashima S Raghavan

Danny R White

Edward S Luce

Marc S Newkirk

Martin R Reeve

David N Mitchell

Alan S Nagelberg

Douglas J Wheeler

Steven D Poste

John McIntyre

Dave K Creber

Meine Vandermeulen

Edward L Cambridge

Douglas N Reesor

Graham Henry Stratford

Marek J Sobczyk

Terry D Claar

Christopher R Kennedy

Ghyslain Dube

Michael A Rocazella

William R Bennett

Peter Alexander Wales

Narasimha S Raghavan

Thomas M Clere

David K Creber

Paul V Kelsey

Aniket Pant

Alvin P Gerk

Charles J Rogers

Alan D McLeod

Thomas P DeAngelis

Louis J Manfredo

Thomas J Hudson

Joseph K Walker

Donald L De Respiris

T Dennis Claar

Daniel J Frydrych

Robert A Wolffe

Tom Shaw

A method of sequentially sorting pieces of material in real-time into output bins where each piece has a composition defined by a plurality of control elements. Each piece is analyzed to determine the concentrations of each control element in the piece. The output bins are assigned target concentrations of the control elements that are defined by customer requirements. The method establishes a bin order used during composition checking to place each piece in a selected bin. The selected bin is the highest order bin that can accept a piece while retaining the actual concentration for each control element of the selected bin within the target concentration for each control element of the selected bin. To optimize the value of the input material to be sorted the bin order is established for each piece based on real-time sort parameters that can determine via global optimization of data from similar input material. Global optimization gives best blends of the known unique compositions and weights of the similar input material to maximize the aggregate value of the prescribed output compositions.

Method of sorting pieces of material

The invention comprises a method of making self-supporting ceramic and ceramic composite structures by the oxidation reaction of a body of molten parent metal precursor with a vapor-phase oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product. This reaction or growth is continued to form a thick, self-supporting ceramic or ceramic composite body. The body is recovered and in a separate subsequent operation, at least a portion of a surface is coated with one or more materials in order to effect desired changes in the properties of the surface, e.g., hardness, corrosion resistance.

Production of ceramic and ceramic-metal composite articles with surface

A process and apparatus for melting metals that react rapidly with air at elevated temperatures to form a stable metal oxide and/or that contains a metal oxide prior to being exposed to elevated temperature, while reducing metal losses due to oxidation or the presence of the oxides. The process involves melting the metal in the presence of a molten metal salt metal salt mixture while electrolyzing metal oxide contained in the salt metal salt mixture to convert the oxide to elemental metal. The process requires an metal salt mixture which contains at least 25% by weight, and more preferably 100% by weight, of metal fluoride and which, for the metal being melted, has a composition which remains substantially unchanged during the electrolysis process. The fluoride improves oxide solubility in the metal salt mixture, making it possible to increase current densities without producing anode effects. The stable composition makes it possible to use the metal salt mixture for prolonged periods without change. The apparatus consists of a single vessel having an interior volume divided at least into a melting zone and an electrolysis zone by a heat-resistant partition which allows the metal salt mixture to be recirculated between those zones. The process and apparatus can be used for melting metals, metal matrix composites reinforced by metal oxides and metal foams stabilized by metal oxide particles.

Process and apparatus for melting metals and composites while reducing

A method for manufacture of Group IVB metal carbide comprising a carbide of a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, hafnium and zirconium ceramic composites is provided wherein a permeable mass of filler and carbon is contacted with a molten Group IVB metal. The molten metal is maintained in contact with the permeable mass for a sufficient period to infiltrate the permeable mass and to react the molten metal with the carbon source to form a Group IVB metal carbide composite. The permeable mass may comprise a Group IVB metal carbide, or other inert filler, or a combination of filler materials.

Production of metal carbide articles

A method for manufacture of Group IVB metal carbide ceramic composites is provided wherein a permeable mass of filler and carbon is contacted with a molten Group IVB metal. The molten metal is maintained in contact with the permeable mass for a sufficient period to infiltrate the permeable mass and to react the molten metal with the carbon source to form a Group IVB metal carbide composite. The permeable mass may comprise a Group IVB metal carbide, or other inert filler, or a combination of filler materials.

A method of producing a composite comprising a self-supporting polycrystalline material obtained by oxidation reaction of a molten parent metal with a vapor-phase oxidant comprising infiltrating a filler exhibiting inter-particle pore volume with a parent metal under conditions which control the respective rates of said metal infiltration and said oxidation reaction.

Production of ceramic and ceramic-metal composite articles incorporating

The invention comprises a method of making self-supporting ceramic and ceramic composite structures by the oxidation reaction of a body of molten parent metal precursor with a vapor-phase oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product. This reaction or growth is continued to form a thick, self-supporting ceramic or ceramic composite body. The body is recovered and in a separate subsequent operation, at least a poriton of a surface is coated with one or more materials in order to effect desired changes in the properties of the surface, e.g., hardness, corrosion resistance.

Production of composite ceramic articles using a porous bed or preform of filler material with a molten metal in the presence of a vapor phase oxident, for effecting infiltrating growth of a polycrystalline matrix of a metal-oxidant reaction product into the filler bed or preform, wherein the filler material bed or preform has a first pore system of coarse interconnected pores, and a second pore system of finer interconnected pores defined by portions of the filler material which remain structurally stable in pore-defining arrangement during infiltration.

Production of ceramic articles incorporating porous filler material

The invention provides a method of removing inclusions from molten metal, particularly aluminum, by

Removing inclusions from molten metal

In an aluminium reduction cell including a cell lining and embedded therein at least one cathode current collector including a high temperature section comprising an electrically conducting refractory material such as titanium diboride, generally in conjunction with molten aluminium metal, corrosion is a problem. The invention provides a substance to protect the collector section. The substance may be a liquid impermeable layer e.g. particulate material impregnated with a molten fluoride-or chloride-containing salt mixture; for a getter such as particulate aluminium to react chemically with gaseous corrosive species. Combinations of these substances may be used, optionally in conjunction with a solid layer such as an alumina or aluminium metal tube.

Aluminium reduction cell

A lining to support the liquid contents of an aluminium electrolytic reduction cell includes an upper layer which is penetrated by electrolyte during operation of the cell, consisting essentially of unbonded alumina, including a substantially close-packed array of alumina shapes, the gaps between the shapes being substantially filled with particulate alumina in one or more fractions having discrete particle size ranges, including a fraction having an average particle diameter not more than 20% of the average diameter of the shapes, the layer having a bulk density of at least 2.0 g/cc.

Linings for aluminium reduction cells

Growing community of inventors

Kingston, Canada

Adam J Gesing