Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

The Penn State Research Foundation

The Pennsylvania Research Corporation

Advanced Power Devices, Inc.

Richard E Tressler

David L Shelleman

Paul N Dyer

Robert A Holzl

Vincent L Magnotta

Dale M Taylor

James H Adair

Eric Minford

Paul M Benson

John R Hellmann

Steven Walton Rynders

Darryl Butt

Douglas J Pysher

Yvonne R DeKay

Darryl P Butt

Julie M Anderson

John J Mecholsky, Jr

Solid, shaped and fired fibers of TiOand TiOare made by firing TiOfibers in a reducing atmosphere. In a first aspect, the TiOfibers are made by extruding into air a viscous TiOgel and heat treating the resulting green fibers to remove solvent, decompose and to volatilize undesired constituents to form electrically conductive, refractory fibers of TiOand TiO. In a second aspect, solid, shaped and fired fibers of TiOand TiOare made by firing extruded fibers from mixtures of TiO.

Electrically conductive fibers of Ti4O7 and Ti5O9

A high temperature, gas-tight seal is formed by utilizing one or more compliant metallic toroidal ring sealing elements, where the applied pressure serves to activate the seal, thus improving the quality of the seal. The compliant nature of the sealing element compensates for differences in thermal expansion between the materials to be sealed, and is particularly useful in sealing a metallic member and a ceramic tube art elevated temperatures. The performance of the seal may be improved by coating the sealing element with a soft or flowable coating such as silver or gold and/or by backing the sealing element with a bed of fine powder. The material of the sealing element is chosen such that the element responds to stress elastically, even at elevated temperatures, permitting the seal to operate through multiple thermal cycles.

Compliant high temperature seals for dissimilar materials

Disclosed is a fiber testing apparatus which permits creep and strength testing of one or more fibers in a controlled environment, including a vacuum, at high temperatures. Components of the fiber tester provide for accurate measurement of the effects on the fiber(s) being tested when exposed to a chosen environment. The fiber tester includes a furnace system, fiber testing system, a fixed sample, a environmental control system, a mass flow control system, a Computer Data Acquisition and Control (CDAC) system, and a support system. Most of these systems are contained in a test chamber which is part of the environmental control system. These systems of the fiber tester allow various types of mechanical tests to be performed on one or more fibers under a variety of environmental conditions not previously achievable.

Fiber tester

A structural article for high temperature applications comprises a body formed of at least partially consolidated, particulate silicon nitride, a conformal outer coating of silicon nitride or silicon carbide on the body, and a conformal intermediate layer of a silicon, oxygen and nitrogen-containing compound, i.e. silicon oxynitride, chemically bonded to both the body and the outer coating. The method for making such an article comprises providing a body formed of at least partially consolidated, particulate silicon nitride, oxidizing the surface of the body, removing silicon dioxide from the oxidized surface of the body; and chemically vapor depositing a conformal outer coating of silicon nitride or silicon carbide. The conformal outer coating provides a protective envelope around and assists in high temperature isostatic pressing of the body and hence permits one to use the structural article in isostatic pressing processes.

Structral articles

A testing apparatus is described that enables both single and double-ended tubular members to be tested under pressure and at elevated temperatures. For double-ended tubular members, the apparatus comprises first and second pressure seals at either end of the tubular member under test, both seals including annular compliant members that bear upon the internal surface of the tubular member. A heater is positioned within the tubular member and one of the pressure seals has an orifice through which the heater is connected to a power source. Pressurization occurs through an orifice in the other pressure seal and cooling apparatus surrounds the first and second ends of the tubular member to cool the pressure seals, thereby enabling the annular compliant members to retain their compliancy when the tubular member is heated to test temperature. For single-ended tubular members, a single pressure seal is used having pathways for both electrical and pressurization connections to the interior of the tubular member.

High temperature, tube burst test apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Boalsburg, PA, United States of America

Richard E Tressler