The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 05, 1996
Filed:
Apr. 14, 1995
S Craig Bergsma, The Dalles, OR (US);
Northwest Aluminum Company, The Dalles, OR (US);
Abstract
A process for casting, thermally transforming and semi-solid forming an aluminum base alloy into an article, the process comprising the steps of: casting a molten body of aluminum base alloy to provide a solidified body, the molten aluminum base alloy being solidified at a rate between liquidus and solidus temperatures of the aluminum base alloy in a range of 5.degree. to 100.degree. C./sec. to provide an entire solidified body having a denditic microstructure. Thereafter, heat is applied to the solidified body to bring the body to a superheated temperature of 3.degree. to 50.degree. C. above the solidus temperature of the aluminum base alloy while maintaining a body in a solid shape and effecting thermal transformation of the body having the dendritic structure when the entire body is uniformly heated to the superheated temperature. The body having a non-dendritic structure is formed in a semi-solid condition into the article.