Rotary x-ray anode having an integrated liquid metal bearing outer shell

A method of producing a rotary x-ray anode, the method comprising:

• providing an anode disk made of molybdenum or a molybdenum-based alloy with a connection port monolithically formed with the anode disk;
• said anode disk being formed with a central hole in a region of an axis of rotation and extending in an axial direction through at least a portion of said anode disk;
• providing a stub of Mo or an Mo-based alloy;
• materially bonding the stub to the connection port of said anode disk centrally relative to the axis of rotation of the anode disk;
• and
• mechanically working the anode disk with said connection port and the stub to form a rotary x-ray anode with an integrated liquid metal bearing outer shell, wherein the stub forms a bushing with a liquid metal bearing running surface and the central hole of the anode disk has an inner wall and the inner wall has at least an axial section that is formed circumferentially as a liquid metal bearing running surface;
• the bushing made of Mo or a Mo-based alloy bonded to said anode disk via a material bonding connection;
• said bushing having an inner wall continuing said central hole of said anode disk and being formed circumferentially as a liquid metal bearing running surface, at least over an axial section thereof, and forming a first subsection of a liquid metal bearing outer shell;
• a side of said anode disk facing toward said bushing is formed with the connection port monolithically formed with the anode disk, said connection port having an inner wall extending said central hole in said anode disk, and said connection port protruding with respect to a peripheral face on an outside of said anode disk, with at least an axial section of said inner wall of said connection port being formed circumferentially as a liquid metal bearing running surface and forming a portion of a second subsection of said liquid metal bearing outer shell;
• and
• said first and second subsections of the liquid metal bearing outer shell adjoining one another and together forming a continuous liquid metal bearing running surface of the liquid metal bearing outer shell, and wherein said material bonding connection is formed between said protruding connection port of said anode disk and said bushing and wherein said material bonding connection is a bond formed by a process selected from the group consisting of friction welding and beam welding.