USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Other

William A Ferrando

Amarnath P Divecha

Subhash D Karmarkar

James M Kerr

Scott M Hoover

Philip W Hesse

Philip John Dudt

James A Zaykoski

Lawrence T Kabacoff

William A May

Mark M Opeka

Raymond A Sutula

Steven Dallek

William J Bruchey

Catherine Wong

Appajosula Srinivasa Rao

Subhash D Karmarkan

William P Kilroy

Amarnath P Diyecha

James B Clark

Gerald Bulmash

Composite materials incorporating high-hardness particulates are provided. Methods for forming composite materials incorporating meta-stable, high-hardness particulates using cold-spray techniques are also provided. The composite materials and methods of the invention beneficially permit the formation of intermixed and graded armors. The composite materials and methods also permit the production of armor compositions with tailored properties.

Composite materials, armor formed therefrom, and methods for making same

An inventive method is provided for synthesizing an intermetallic compound. According to exemplary inventive practice, two metallic elements are weighed out in quantities corresponding to their molecular weights in an intermetallic compound of interest. The two metallic elements are mixed together to produce a metallic mixture in powder form. According to many inventive embodiments, a ball-mill device is implemented to thoroughly or intimately mix the two metallic elements into a fine powder. The powdered metallic mixture is exothermically reacted to produce an at least substantially pure intermetallic compound in powder form. According to many inventive embodiments, the exothermic reaction is brought about in a vacuous or inert-gaseous (e.g., helium) environment through electrification of a tungsten wire filament that is completely embedded in the powdered metallic mixture.

Synthesis of an intermetallic compound powder

An electrochemical cell comprises an ion permeable, liquid and vapor impermeable, membrane made by a solvent casting process. Two mutually insoluble polymers are cast together with the aide of mutually soluble co-solvents. The ion permeable membrane comprises a high molecular weight polyisobutylene polymer structural component. The linearized poly(acrylic acid) polymer ion conducting component comprises which is 4 wt % to 6 wt % of the membrane. The dried ion permeable membrane has a thickness of about 0.1 millimeters. The membrane is hydrated and used for transporting ions in an electrochemical cell. The cell demonstrates good reversibility, i.e. rechargability.

Ion-permeable membrane for electrochemical cell

An electrically assisted friction stir welding method and arrangement in which the required downward/pressing force typically exerted on a workpiece is substantially reduced. The method and apparatus involves the creation of a localized heated zone on a workpiece undergoing a welding operation. The localized heated zone is created using a resistive heating circuit running through the friction stir welding tool and the workpiece.

Electrically assisted friction stir welding

A method has been found for centrifugal casting engine cylinders. A mold is charged with molten aluminum alloy and particulate silicon monoxide having an average size of 0.01 mm to 0.04 mm. The mold is rotated at a velocity and period of time to distribute the particulate silicon monoxide on an inner cylinder surface. The mold is allowed to cool until the aluminum alloy solidifies. A casting is demolded characterized in a uniform inner cylinder surface of the particulate silicon monoxide in an amount of 25 volume % and thickness 1 to 5 millimeters. The engine cylinders are distinguished in resistance to wear. Cylinder liners show no appreciable wear for over 100,000 miles of use.

Aluminum engine cylinder liner and method

According to typical inventive practice, a first metallic material is poured into a mold including a bottom inside surface having regularly arrayed rises (truncated spherical convexities). The molten first metallic material cools and solidifies to include a surface correspondingly having regularly arrayed dents (truncated spherical concavities). The resultant 'inner casting' is removed from and repositioned in the mold so that the inner casting's dent-laden surface faces upward. Ceramic spheres are placed in the dents. A second metallic material (having a higher melting point than the first metallic material) is poured into the mold with the inner casting and spheres in place. The molten second metallic material cools and solidifies as an 'outer casting' surrounding the inner casting and the spheres. The resultant integral armor structure includes the inner casting, the outer casting, and the spheres, each sphere embedded partially in the inner casting and partially in the outer casting.

Composite armor having a layered metallic matrix and dually embedded ceramic elements

A method of depositing rhenium onto a substrate comprising dissolving rhenium oxide in a hydrogen peroxide solution, immersing a negative and a positive electrode into the solution, immersing a substrate to be coated with rhenium into the solution next to the negative electrode or, alternatively, using the substrate to be coated as the negative electrode, and applying a current between the two electrodes.

[object Object]

A method of forming a rhenium layer on a substrate, comprising:

Rhenium composite

An anode for use in a primary metal-air battery having an alkaline or neutral salt electrolyte, the anode comprising: a low molecular weight reactive metal substrate; a low molecular weight reactive metal powder; and at least a two-component electrolyte resistant polymer system; the first component is an ionic conductive linearized hydrogel, the second component is an inert structural polymer matrix, the reactive metal powder is dispersed and the first component is uniformly dispersed within the second component to form a material, and the reactive metal is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, tin, mixtures of aluminum, tin and magnesium and alloys thereof.

Reactive metal hydrogel/inert polymer composite anode and primary metal-air battery

A metal-matrix material in the form of a carbide powder together with a sodium fluoride flux is deposited as a charge within a crucible for induction heating thereof to a flux melting temperature to thereby initiate pretreatment. The molten flux is spread over and covers powder particles of the metal-matrix carbide throughout, in response to stirring by rotation of an agitator during said flux melt heating within the crucible. The charge may be covered within the crucible by an air-purging blanket of argon gas during said heating. The powder fluxed charge is then cooled within the crucible before removal therefrom and sealingly packaged within aluminum soda cans or foil wrappings for future use storage. Such packaged charges are transferred from storage and introduced into a casting mold for enhanced centrifugal cast molding of metallurgical products, such as a metallic ring having an outer carbide bronze surface.

Pretreatment processing of metal-matrix carbide power for mold casting of products

Li Mn O , with z greater than zero and less than one, is prepared from LiMnO and an appropriate complimentary compound, such as MnOOH, MnO or MnCO precursors. The Li Mn O is useful in highly oxidized lithium manganospinels.

Synthesis of Li2Mn4O9 using lithium permanganate precursor

A predetermined quantity of a metal-matrix composite material is injected to a heating crucible along an angular infeed direction toward a location therein at which a vortex is formed by the blade of an agitator through which the material is stirred while being superheated above the melting temperature to a pouring temperature under which the melted material is transferred to a casting mold after surface skimming thereof to form a product having improved wear resistance properties.

Fabrication of metal-matrix compositions

Alumina tiles within aluminum framing jigs are fixedly positioned by lock ns within an internally coated mold for centrifugal casting within a block of an aluminum alloy material. Such jigs and the tiles framed therein are coated with silver before casting to prevent aluminum oxidation by heating of the aluminum material to a molten state for deposit into the mold. Bonding of the tiles and framing of the jigs with the aluminum material being cast is also enhanced by such silver coating.

Fabrication of tile reinforced composite armor casting

A ceramic, metal, or metal alloy surface is covered with lithium permangae which is then thermally decomposed to produce a corrosion resistant coating on the surface. This coating serves as a primer coating which is preferably covered with an overcoat of a sealing paint.

Corrosion-resistant coating prepared by the thermal decomposition of

Silver metal-coated boron carbide (B.sub.4 C) particle reinforce aluminumthium alloy or magnesium-lithium matrix composites which are prepared by coating the B.sub.4 C particles with molten AgNO.sub.3, decomposing the molten AgNO.sub.3 to form a coating of silver metal on the B.sub.4 C particles, mixing the silver coated B.sub.4 C particles into a molten aluminum-lithium alloy or magnesium-lithium alloy matrix, allowing the mixture to cool and solidify the solid composite.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington, VA, United States of America

William A Ferrando