USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Guillermo R Villalobos

Jasbinder Singh Sanghera

Ishwar Dayal Aggarwal

Shyam S Bayya

Woohong Kim

Bryan Sadowski

Michael Hunt

Colin C Baker

Geoffrey Chin

Robert E Miklos

Jesse A Frantz

Jason D Myers

Daniel Joseph Gibson

Robel Y Bekele

Benjamin Rock

Syed B Qadri

Leslie Brandon Shaw

Pablo C Pureza

Frederic Hau Kung

Alex E Moser

Dean A Scribner

Geoff Chin

Jas S Sanghera

The present invention provides a method for making a high strength, small grain size ceramic having a transgranular fracture mode by rapid densification of a green body and subsequent cooling of the densified ceramic. The ceramic may include dislocations, defects, dopants, and/or secondary phases that are formed as a result of the process and resulting in stress fields capable of redirecting or arresting cracks within the material. This ceramic can maintain transparency from ultraviolet to mid-wave infrared.

High strength ceramics with novel fracture mode

The present invention provides a method for making a high strength, small grain size ceramic having a trans-granular fracture mode by rapid densification of a green body and subsequent cooling of the densified ceramic. The ceramic may include dislocations, defects, dopants, and/or secondary phases that are formed as a result of the process and resulting in stress fields capable of redirecting or arresting cracks within the material. This ceramic can maintain transparency from ultraviolet to mid-wave infrared.

A nanoparticle containing monoclinic lutetium oxide. A method of: dispersing a lutetium salt solution in a stream of oxygen gas to form droplets, and combusting the droplets to form nanoparticles containing lutetium oxide. The combustion occurs at a temperature sufficient to form monoclinic lutetium oxide in the nanoparticles. An article containing lutetium oxide and having an average grain size of at most 10 microns.

Flame spray synthesis of nanoparticles of monoclinic Lu203 and dopant

A &#x3b2;-SiC coating made by the method of mixing SiOwith carbon and heating the mixture in vacuum wherein the carbon is oxidized to CO gas and reduces the SiOto SiO gas and reacting a carbon material, comprising stainless steel with a carbon coating, with the SiO gas at a temperature in the range of 1300 to 1600&#xb0; C. resulting in a SiC coating on the stainless steel.

In situ grown SiC coatings on carbon materials

The present invention is directed to a method for making infrared transmitting graded index optical elements by selecting at least two different infrared-transmitting materials, each with a different refractive index, having similar thermo-viscous behavior; assembling the infrared-transmitting materials into a stack comprising one or more layers of each infrared-transmitting material resulting in the stack having a graded index profile; and forming the stack into a desired shape. Also disclosed is the related optical element made by this method.

Infrared (IR) transmitting graded index (GRIN) optical elements and method for making same

A transparent composite armor is made of tens to hundreds or even thousands of thin layers of material each with a thickness of 10-500 &#x3bc;m. An appropriate amount of impedance mismatch between the layers causes some reflection at each interface but limit the amplitude of the resulting tensile wave below the tensile strength of the constituent materials. The result is an improvement in ballistic performance and that will result is a significant impact in reducing size, weight, and volume of the armor.

Shockwave controlled ballistic protection

A method of purifying a spinel powder includes contacting a spinel powder with an acid solution to form an acid-washed spinel composition and contacting the acid-washed spinel composition with a basic solution to form a purified composition. The purified powder is suited to formation of low-absorption shaped bodies, such as windows for high intensity laser devices.

Low absorption spinel formed by acidic and basic treatments

A method of containing molten aluminum using non-wetting materials comprising depositing MgAlO, or one selected from an oxide, AlO, nitride, AlN, BN, carbide, and SiC, onto a crucible. An apparatus for containment of molten aluminum using non-wetting materials comprising a layer of MgAlO, or one selected from an oxide, AlO, nitride, AlN, BN, carbide, and SiC, deposited onto a crucible.

Manufacturing a crucible for containment using non-wetting materials

A method of preparing a fine powder of calcium lanthanoid sulfide is disclosed. The method includes spraying soluble calcium and lanthanoid salts into at least one precipitating solution to form a precipitate comprising insoluble calcium and lanthanoid salts, optionally, oxidizing the precipitate comprising insoluble calcium and lanthanoid salts, and sulfurizing the optionally oxidized precipitate to form a fine powder of calcium lanthanoid sulfide. An alternative method for forming the powder is by flame pyrolysis. The calcium lanthanoid sulfide powder produced by either method can have an impurity concentration of less than 100 ppm, a carbon concentration of less than 200 ppm, a BET surface area of at least 50 m/g, and an average particle size of less than 100 nm.

Calcium lanthanoid sulfide powders, methods of making, and ceramic bodies formed therefrom

A method of forming a &#x3b2;-SiC material or coating by mixing SiOwith carbon and heating the mixture in vacuum wherein the carbon is oxidized to CO gas and reduces the SiOto SiO gas and reacting a carbon material with the SiO gas at a temperature in the range of 1300 to 1600&#xb0; C. resulting in a SiC material or a SiC coating on a substrate. Also disclosed is the related SiC material or coating prepared by this method.

Situ grown SiC coatings on carbon materials

Flame spray synthesis of monoclinic Lu2O3 nanoparticles

Method of Making particles including a YAG core and a coating of sintering aid deposited thereon. The particles and agglomerates thereof maybe formed as a powder. The coated YAG-containing particles are well-suited to production of polycrystalline YAG-containing ceramics. The coated YAG-containing particles may be fabricated using a novel fabrication method which avoids the need for formation of a homogeneous powder mixture of YAG and sintering aid. The mixture may be sprayed into a drying column and dried to produce coated particles. Alternatively, the YAG particles and sintering aid or sintering aid precursor solution may be separately introduced to the drying column and dried to form coated YAG-containing particles.

Sintering aid coated YAG powders and agglomerates and methods for making

Containment of molten aluminum using non-wetting materials

This disclosure involves a new spinel and glass micro-composite material and process for making such. The composite has excellent transmission in the 0.5-5.0 &#x3bc;m wavelength region suitable for various visible and mid IR applications utilizing windows, domes and other geometric shapes. The composite can be made at a temperature about 40% lower than the glass melting temperature and about 50% lower than the spinel sintering temperature. The composite material has high modulus and fracture toughness which are important for impact resistance in armor and other practical applications.

Spinel-germanate glass composite as an IR window

A composition comprising india stabilized gadolinia wherein the india stabilized gadolinia is an oxide with a direct substitution of the indium ion for the gadolinia ion resulting in a compound with the formula InGdO.

Growing community of inventors

Springfield, VA, United States of America

Guillermo R Villalobos