Dresser Industries, Inc.

Gerald A Croopnick

John M Michaels

David M Scruggs

John M Zabsky

Donald G Paul

Irwin W Sauer

Richard A Morris

An extended surface area amorphous metallic article and process for preparation thereof, wherein a homogeneous amorphous metallic alloy is phase-separated to produce two interconnected, internally continuous, amorphous phases, and then one phase is removed. Preferably, the homogeneous metallic alloy has a composition associated with a eutectic between at least two solid solutions. Phase separation is accomplished by exposing the alloy to a temperature which is below the crystallization temperature and also below the phase separation temperature for that composition. Removal of one phase may be accomplished by leaching in a liquid solution, or by vaporization. The resulting article has an extended surface area of the amorphous phase that is not removed. A porous membrane having extended internal surface area may be prepared by continuing the removal process to the removal of one phase throughout the entire thickness of the article. The extended surface area articles, wherein the extended surface area is of an amorphous metal, enjoy particular advantages when used as catalysts.

Extended surface area amorphous metallic material

A membrane pack is constructed, which includes a highly porous carrier sandwiched between a pair of membrane structures that must be kept continuously wet, the pack having a hole and being sealed around the hole to prevent the passage of polluting liquid lying in the hole, into the porous carrier of the pack. The membrane pack is constructed by impregnating the carrier with a flowable polymer which can solidify, to leave a thin layer of the polymer on either surface of the carrier, and by then welding the polymer layers to membranes at either face of the carrier. Ultrasonic welding of the membrane structures to the carrier is performed while the membrane structures are wet, the ultrasonic welding dissipating moisture lying at the interface between the carrier and membrane structures to permit even hydrophilic polymers to be utilized.

Membrane pack and method of making

A particle discharge mechanism is described for use on a centrifugal dewatering system, which is of relatively simple and rugged construction. The discharge mechanism includes a pair of concentric ring-like gates (50, 52 in FIG. 2) that can move across a particle discharge passageway (46) extending around a rotating vessel (14). The gates are operated in a sequence to first trap a mass of particles inside the radially outermost gate (52), to close an innermost gate (50) to isolate the trapped particles, and then to open the outermost gate (52) to release the trapped mass. In one procedure, the outermost gate is opened only slightly prior to complete particle release, to remove small amounts of remaining water in the mass of particles.

Solid discharge mechanism for dewatering system

An electrodeposition process for depositing a boron-containing amorphous metallic layer onto a cathode from an electrodeposition bath having borophosphoric acid, dimethylamineborane or diethylamineborane; an ammonium salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid or amino acid; and a source of the metallic ions. In one embodiment, tungsten-cobalt-boron amorphous alloys are deposited onto the cathode from a bath having borophosphoric acid, an ammonium salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid or amino acid, a tungsten-containing salt and a cobalt-containing salt. In the preferred embodiment, the tungsten-containing salt is sodium tungstate, the cobalt-containing salt is cobalt sulphate, and the ammonium salt of a hydroxycarboxylic acid is ammonium citrate or ammonium tartrate. A range of bath compositions may be utilized to deposit the amorphous tungsten-cobalt-boron alloys onto the cathode, such alloys having high hardness and wear resistance and also having sufficient ductility to avoid cracking of the amorphous layer in fabrication and use. The electrodeposition process is preferably conducted at a voltage greater than the hydrogen over-voltage of the bath composition, and at a current density greater than about 20 milliamps per square centimeter.

Electrodeposition of amorphous alloys and products so produced

A centrifugal microstrainer includes a closed cylindrical vessel with a cylindrical screen within, both rotating about a hollow shaft forming a common central axis. Liquid-solid admixture introduced through the shaft is flowed radially outward subjected to centrifugal acceleration, and forced back through the screen under pressure with particles too large to pass the screen remaining on its outboard side. The centrifugal force applied by the rotation of the vessel acts on these larger particles pushing them away from the screen thus preventing clogging and permitting substantially continuous operation. The device may be operated as a classifier by providing a plurality of concentric screens of decreasing mesh size spaced outwardly from one another in conjunction with properly sized chokes.

Microstrainer apparatus and method

A fluid purification apparatus of the type which includes a stack of membrane packs and a stack of gaskets located at the peripheral portions of the membrane packs to keep them separated from one another, wherein the gaskets have outer lands bearing on one another and surrounding the membrane packs, inner lands pressing against the faces of the packs to seal against them, and elongated bendable middle gasket portions connecting the inner and outer lands to allow the inner lands to adjust position so as to compensate for variations in thickness of the membrane packs.

Gasket arrangement for purification apparatus

Apparatus is described for purifying waste water or other feed fluid, which includes a stack of membrane packs wherein each pack contains a conduit sheet, a pair of support sheets of filter paper or the like, each lying against a face of the conduit sheet, and a pair of membranes each lying over a filter paper sheet. The pack has exit holes, and the filter paper extends up to the exit hole walls and has a region thereabout which is impregnated with an adhesive which seals the filter paper against the inflow of concentrate while also holding the filter paper to the conduit sheet and membranes. The packs are spaced apart by inner and outer gaskets, the radially inner gaskets having central holes forming a feed pipe for carrying the feed fluid to all the packs. The stack of membrane packs is rapidly rotated to provide centrifugal forces that help sweep away membrane-plugging material during radial flow of feed fluid from the feed pipe to the peripheries of the packs, and the exit holes of all of the packs are formed near their peripheries and are aligned to thereby form a concentrate-carrying 'pipe' with gaps that receive the concentrate.

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Trabuco Canyon, CA, United States of America

Gerald A Croopnick