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:
Jun. 16, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 03, 1996
NHK Spring R & D Center Inc., Yokohama, JP;
Abstract
An article essentially consisting of one or more of Ti-Al intermetallic compounds is fabricated so as to have a volume ratio of voids of 0.2 to 3.5% and a maximum size of voids less than 50 .mu.m, by preparing a mixture of materials selected from a group consisting of Ti, Ti alloys, Al, Al alloys, and Ti-Al compounds, having a composition suitable for forming a desired Ti-Al intermetallic compound, and heating the mixture so that the mixture may be sintered. Typically, the temperature and pressure for the heating or sintering process, and the particle size of the material are appropriately selected so that a desired porosity and a desired range of void sizes may be obtained. The mechanical strength of the article according to the present invention is not only improved (as compared to the conventional Ti-Al intermetallic compounds) but is highly predictable, or, in other words, highly reliable. The fabrication costs can be reduced because the fabrication process involves only relatively low temperatures when simultaneously pressing and heating the article being formed. Furthermore, during the process of fabrication, such an article may have a highly favorable workability (as compared to the prior art) so that a final shape can be given to the article without involving any undue difficulty.