Kennecott Copper Corporation

Thomas C Wilder

David W Marshall

William R O'Day, Jr

Walter E Galin

Kenneth W MCGrath

A vertical electrolytic cell for producing a composite layer of boron carbide-filled copper by codeposition of copper and boron carbide particles. A metal substrate serving as a cathode is positioned below a copper anode in an electrolyte containing copper ions. Boron carbide particles are introduced beneath the copper anode, uniformly distributed in the electrolyte and allowed to settle onto the substrate surface while electroplating so that the particles become entrapped in a growing copper matrix. The preferred apparatus includes a plurality of stirrers. One feature of the preferred procedure is to introduce the total volume of boron carbide particles by adding a little at a time, shutting off the stirrers and plating through a settling layer of carbide particles before adding the next batch of particles.

Apparatus and process for producing copper-boron carbide composite by

Disclosed is an electrical conductor formed from a plurality of elongate filaments, at least a portion of which have a non-circular cross section, the filaments arranged such that the conductor has a substantially smooth exterior surface and high density of material of the filaments in a cross section through the conductor perpendicular to its axis. A preferred method for forming such an electrical conductor involves the continuous electroforming of a plurality of elongate conductive filaments. After such filaments are stripped from a cathode track upon which they are deposited, a number of them are bunched and/or twisted together to form an electrically conductive strand. Finally, that strand is compacted to reduce its cross sectional area to provide it with a smooth exterior surface.

Method of manufacturing flexible electrical conductor

A method of recovering metal values from deep sea manganese nodules. A liquid reductant such as bunker-C oil is utilized as a reducing agent. As a result of the efficient contact between the liquid reducing agent and the nodules, little prior preparation of the nodules is required to recover a high percentage of copper, nickel, cobalt and molybdenum. A new series of metal alloys are produced in the selective reduction of the nodules, the major phase being iron-rich nickel, one minor phase being 80-90% copper and the other minor phase being a combination of manganese, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt and iron.

Alloys from manganese nodules

Disclosed is an improved cathode arrangement for use in the electroformation of metallic filaments. The cathode includes a plurality of closed-loop plating surfaces that are congruent to, and interleaved with, each other. This pattern of plating surfaces facilitates the simultaneous stripping of a number of filaments reducing the likelihood of mutual interference among the filaments being stripped.

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Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Thomas C Wilder