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:
Jul. 20, 2004
Filed:
Aug. 30, 2000
Melvin H. Miles, Ridgecrest, CA (US);
M. Ashraf Imam, Great Falls, VA (US);
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
A palladium-boron composition and methods of making and using same are provided. In one aspect, the invention comprises an alloy comprising palladium and boron, the boron being in solid solution in the palladium and the alloy having a two-phase structure, wherein each phase of the two-phase structure has the same crystal structure as the other phase and has a different set of lattice parameters from the other phase such that the palladium is greatly hardened by the presence of the smaller phase crystals within the spaces between the larger phase crystals. The composition is carefully prepared by a process wherein palladium and an amount of boron sufficient to place the boron in solid solution, but insufficient to combine with the palladium, are placed together and repeatedly arc melted, cooled and turned over until sufficiently mixed. The hardened composition can be used to create thinner membranes for hydrogen purification and improved electrodes for generation of heat energy, and other electrochemical processes.