Abstract:
Processes for fabricating components to have two or more regions with different grain structures, and components produced by such processes. The processes entail performing at least one forging step on a preform to produce a profile having at least a first portion corresponding to the first region of the component. The preform is formed of a precipitation-strengthened alloy having a solvus temperature, and the at least one forging step comprises a nonfinal forging step performed at a first strain rate and at a first subsolvus temperature that is below the solvus temperature of the alloy. A subsequent forging step is performed on the profile to produce a final profile comprising the first portion and a second portion corresponding to the second region of the component. The subsequent forging step is performed at a strain rate and at a subsequent subsolvus temperature, wherein at least one of the subsequent strain rate and subsequent subsolvus temperature is either higher or lower than the first strain rate or first subsolvus temperature. A heat treatment is then performed on the final profile to cause grain growth, wherein the first portion of the final profile has a different grain size than the second portion.
Abstract:
A method for making an ordered magnetic alloy includes (a) providing a thermally conductive base having opposite first and second surfaces; (b) forming a thermal barrier layer on the first surface of the thermally conductive base; (c) forming a disordered magnetic alloy layer on the thermal barrier layer, the disordered magnetic alloy layer being made from a disordered alloy which contains a first metal selected from Fe, Co, and Ni, and a second metal selected from Pt and Pd; and (d) after step (c), applying a transient heat to the thermally conductive base to cause rapid thermal expansion of the thermally conductive base, which, in turn, causes generation of an in-plane tensile stress in the disordered magnetic alloy layer.
Abstract:
In various embodiments, electronic devices such as thin-film transistors incorporate electrodes featuring a conductor layer and, disposed below the conductor layer, a barrier layer comprising an alloy of Cu and one or more refractory metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Mo, W, Zr, Hf, Re, Os, Ru, Rh, Ti, V, Cr, and Ni.
Abstract:
A high strength and high ductility low carbon steel having a tensile strength of 800 MPa or more, an uniform elongation of 5% or more, and an elongation to failure of 20% or more which is produced by a method comprising subjecting an ordinary low carbon steel or an ordinary low carbon steel added with boron in an amount being 0.01% or less and effective for accelerating martensitic transformation to processing and heat treatment to prepare a product having coarser size of austenite crystal grains and then to water-quenching, to provide a steel product having a martensite phase in an amount of 90% or more, and subjecting the steel product to a low strain processing, specifically a cold rolling at a total rolling reduction in thickness of 20% or more and less than 80%, and to a low temperature annealing at 500° C. to 600° C., and a method for producing said high strength and high ductility low carbon steel.
Abstract:
Metallic workpieces of diverse shapes having work surfaces which are deformed at the surface and adjacent sub-surface layers by surface impact from ultrasonic transducers employing freely axially moving impacting elements propelled and energized by a transducer oscillating surface vibrating periodically at an ultrasonic frequency. The impacting elements are propelled in a random aperiodic and controlled impact mode at different phases of the periodic oscillation cycles. The transducer may be portable and provides a series of mechanically interconnected stages having mechanical resonances harmonically related as a multiple of the primary ultrasonic frequency and have matched stage resistances under instantaneous loading when the impact elements are driven by the transducer oscillating surface into the surface of the workpiece. This mode of operation produces Q-factor amplification of the input ultrasonic power oscillator energy at the impact needles and high propulsion velocities making it possible to machine metallic workpiece bodies to greater depths for compressing the metal to increase compressive strength of the workpiece work surfaces to substantially the ultimate material strength. The impact machining is done at ambient temperatures.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for processing a metal body which can turn a metal structure of the metal body into a finer grain structure thus obtaining the high strength and the high ductility. In a method or an apparatus for processing a metal body which turns the metal structure of the metal body into the finer grain structure by forming a low deformation resistance region where the deformation resistance is locally lowered in the metal body and by deforming the low deformation resistance region by shearing, using a non-low deformation resistance region forming means which forms a non-low deformation resistance region by increasing the deformation resistance which is lowered in the low deformation resistance region, the non-low deformation resistance region is formed along the low deformation resistance region.
Abstract:
An inverted tooth transmission chain with articulating link plates has improved wear resistance and life expectancy. The articulating link plates are blanked from steel having an aluminium content of 0.01% to 0.08% by weight and a grain size number of at least 8 ASTM. The link plates are then carburised by heating them to a temperature in the range 800° C. to 1000° C. for a period of between 10 to 60 minutes in a conventional carburising atmosphere including, for example, methane or propane. The link plates are then quenched or austempered in an oil or salt bath. The final hardness of the carburised link plate is in the region of 600 to 700 Hv (Vickers hardness value).
Abstract:
This invention provides methods of treatment for work products of materials such as steel, bronze, plastic, etc. and particularly welded steel bodies by pulse impact energy, preferably ultrasonic, to relax fatigue and aging and extend expectant life. The treatment may occur (a) at original production, (b) during the active life period for maintenance or (c) after failure in a repair stage. The ultrasonic treatment improves the work product strength. In welded products residual stress patterns near the weld sites are relaxed and micro-stress defects such as voids and unusual grain boundaries are reduced. The basic method steps are non-destructive in nature, inducing interior pulse compression waves with ultrasonic transducers and accessory tools impacting an external product surface with enough impulse energy to heat and temporarily plasticize the metal interior and relax stresses. The nature of the work product interior structure being treated is determined by sensing the mechanical movement at the impact surface of the work body to produce feedback frequency and phase signals responsive to input impact signals. These signals automatically conform driving pulse energy frequency and phase to the input transducers to match the mechanical resonance frequency of the working transducers and increase efficiency of energy transfer. Such feedback signals also are available for automated procedures which can improve product quality and consistency.
Abstract:
The novel methods, apparatus and reworked rotary braking surface product, for example those exhibited on interior cylindrical braking surfaces of a cast iron brake drum, serve to replace manufacturing defects exhibiting residual tensile stresses and outwardly directed tool marks with smooth compressed braking surfaces in a final manufacturing stage. The plastically deformed surface shape with reduced roughness and surface irregularities furthermore presents improved braking strength above the yield point and approaching the ultimate material strength of the base drum material. An ultrasonic transducer drives individual freely moving impact elements of a set at frequencies up to 55 kHz into the braking surface to effect plastic deformation at surface and sub-surface layers. Physically, the small sized ultrasonic transducer is inserted into a drum cylinder and driven by a lathe producing relative motion between the braking surface and the ultrasonically vibrating impact elements scanning only the braking surface in a readily controlled ultrasonic impact machining cycle for attaining specified braking surface performance.
Abstract:
A method of producing a ultra fine grain steel made of ferrite having a mean grain size of not larger that 3 &mgr;m as the base phase, after ingoting raw materials, by austenitizing the ingot by heating it to a temperature of at least an Ac 3 point, then, applying compression working of a reduction ratio of at least 50% at a temperature of from an Ae 3 point or lower to an Ar 3 point −150° C., or at a temperature of at least 550° C., and thereafter, cooling, wherein the strain rate as compression working is in the range of from 0.001 to 10/second.