Bell Telephone Laboratories

At&t Bell Laboratories

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., At&t Bell Laboratories

American Telephone and Telegraph, Co.

At&t Technologies, Inc.

John T Plewes

Murray Robbins

Gilbert Y Chin

Dominic N LoIacono

Joachim J Hauser

Bud Caesar Wonsiewicz

Sungho Jin

Nathaniel R Quick

Sau-Lan L Ng

Raymond C Stoffers

Robert Alfred Hinrichsen

Robert W Tomb

Philip R White

Andreas Leiberich

A method for forming elongated articles including metallic oxide superconductor material by hydrostatic extrusion at temperatures less than about 800.degree. C., and even at temperatures less than about 450.degree. C. The method includes providing superconductive core material that is substantially free of carbon or organic additives and that has an equivalent density at least about 55% of full density, and enclosing the densified material in a metal container, to become a cladding, prior to extrusion. In a preferred embodiment, the cladding material is a dispersion hardened metal or metal alloy.

Method of forming superconductive articles by hydrostatic extrusion

Lead inclusion in copper-containing wrought alloys is coming into disfavor due to health and environmental considerations. Machinability, as well as retention of workability properties, associated with lead inclusion are assured by bismuth together with a modifying element, phosphorous, indium or tin, with such modifying element minimizes the workability-precluding embrittlement otherwise associated with bismuth. Fabrication of product dependent upon properties of the large variety of lead-containing alloys is so permitted by use of lead-free material.

Machinable lead-free wrought copper-containing alloys

Copper based alloys, e.g. CuNiSnSi are processed by annealing followed by a high level of cold work area reduction then a recrystallization step which is followed by a low level of cold work prior to spinodal aging. The resultant material is isotropically formable while maintaining high yield strength.

Method for treating copper-based alloys and articles produced therefrom

Contacts comprising nickel and a glass-forming additive have electrical contact properties which render them suitable as replacements for gold contacts; disclosed contacts have low contact resistance even after prolonged exposure to an oxidizing ambient. The glass-forming additive is one or several of the elements boron, silicon, germanium, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, or bismuth, and contacts are readily formed, e.g., as layers on substrates. A crystallographically disordered structure is produced in a contact surface layer at least upon exposure to an oxidizing ambient; alternatively, such desired structure can be produced by ion bombardment and even in the absence of glass-forming additives.

Nickel-based electrical contact

Nickel material comprising controlled amounts of hydrogen has low electrical contact resistance even after prolonged exposure to an oxidizing ambient. When used as a surface layer on an electrically conducting member, such material is suitable as a contact material and represents an inexpensive alternative to gold. And, when prepared in the form of microscopic flakes, such material is suitable for use in electrically conductive inks and adhesives.

A method for electroplating a nickel-antimony alloy comprising from 1-70 weight percent antimony and the balance nickel comprises electroplating the alloy from a solution containing a soluble nickel salt and a soluble mixed antimony alkali metal salt of a polybasic organic acid at a pH in the range of about from 1 to 6. The substrate to be plated is made the cathode and an inert anode is employed.

Method of making non-precious metal electrical contacts by electroplating

Cu-Ni-Sb alloys have been discovered having a two-phase or multiphase state at low levels of antimony, and alloys in such state have high strength, high ductility, and high electrical conductivity. Tensile strengths in the range of 80,000-160,000 psi have been achieved, and electrical conductivity in the range of 30-65 percent of the conductivity of copper. Alloys of the invention can be made by processing involving homogenizing, rapid cooling, cold working, and aging; for maximized electrical conductivity, dual combined steps of cold working and aging are beneficial.

High-strength, high-conductivity copper alloys

A carbon transmitter utilizes an electrode prepared by in situ reaction between substrate copper and introduced sulfur. Good surface adhesion between the resulting CuS layer and the substrate is assured by use of a two-phase cobalt/copper substrate.

Carbon transducer with electrical contact

In the interest of mechanical strength and hardness, metallic bodies desirably contain dispersed particles whose diameter preferably is in the range of 50-10,000 Angstrom. A disclosed method for producing such metallic bodies calls for preparing a solution of mixed salts of elements, removing the solvent, transforming to metallic form, and compacting under pressure. Strength of a resulting metallic body may be further developed by aging and, optionally, cold deformation prior to aging. Use of the disclosed method is indicated especially to produce bodies comprising immiscible elements. For example, when Mo is dispersed in Cu, high strength and electrical conductivity are realized.

Manufacture of high-strength metallic articles

Alloys are disclosed which contain Cu, Ni, Sn, and prescribed amounts of Mo, Nb, Ta, V, or Fe. A predominantly spinodal structure is developed in such alloys by a treatment which requires annealing, quenching, and aging, and which does not require cold working to develop alloy properties. The shape of articles made from such alloys may be as cast, forged, extruded, hot worked, hot pressed, or cold worked. Shaped articles are strong, ductile, and have isotropic formability.

Method for producing copper based spinodal alloys

Strengthening and hardening of metallic alloys has formerly been effected by inclusion of various metal and metal oxide additives. According to the invention, alloys having face-centered cubic structure are strengthened and hardened by the inclusion of one or several hydrides which are formed upon interstitial diffusion of hydrogen. Inclusion of hydrogen is conveniently effected in a shaped body of an alloy comprising a first and a second, more easily hydrided component by exposure to a hydrogen atmosphere at elevated temperature. Resulting alloys also have essentially scale-free surface, high electrical conductivity, and high creep resistance. Hydrided alloys may be shaped, e.g., into electrical components such as wire and switch elements.

Alloy strengthening by hydridation

A method is disclosed for making a metallic body having desirable magnetic properties. The metallic body is made from an alloy which contains Fe, Cr, and Co and which may also contain one or several additional ferrite forming elements such as, e.g., Zr, Mo, V, Nb, Ta, Ti, Al, Si, or W. According to the disclosed method the alloy is cooled at a rate of at least 60 degrees C. per hour from an initial temperature at which the alloy is in an essentially single phase alpha state to a second temperature which is in a vicinity of 600 degrees C. Subsequently, the alloy is cooled at a second, slower rate to a third temperature which is in the vicinity of 525 degrees C. The disclosed method allows for a relatively broad range of initial temperatures, is relatively insensitive to compositional variations of the alloy, and permits simple reclamation of suboptimally treated parts. As a consequence, the method is particularly suited for large scale industrial production of permanent magnets as may be used, e.g., in relays, ringers, and electro-acoustic transducers.

Fe-Cr-Co magnetic alloy processing

Cu-Ni-Sn alloys are of commercial interest in applications which involve shaping by mechanical working of an alloy as well as in casting applications. Disclosed is a method which is particularly beneficial for casting and forging applications, i.e. applications which involve only limited amounts of working or none at all. The disclosed method allows the production of a fine-grained structure in a Cu-Ni-Sn alloy by a thermal treatment which calls for maintaining the alloy at three specified distinct temperature levels for specified time periods. The resulting fine-grained alloy may undergo further processing as may be beneficial, e.g., to develop desired levels of strength and ductility.

Method for making fine-grained Cu-Ni-Sn alloys

Cu-Ni-Sn alloys are disclosed which are particularly suited to undergo shaping by machining such as drilling, and lathing. In addition to Cu, Ni, and Sn, these alloys contain specified small amounts of Te, Se, Pb, or MnS. When articles are formed by machining of alloys having such specified composition, clogging of the machining tool and overheating of workpiece and machining tool are effectively prevented.

Free machining Cu-Ni-Sn alloys

A method is disclosed for making strip material of a copper-nickel-tin alloy by cold rolling a homogenized ingot by an amount corresponding to an area reduction of from 25% to 45% followed by aging at a temperature in the vicinity of 350.degree. C. Strip material made by the disclosed method exhibits not only high strength but also high and essentially isotropic formability.

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Berkeley Heights, NJ, United States of America

John T Plewes