Expandable member and method of making the same
AssigneeAlcoa Inc.
InventorRichard M. Beeler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The instant disclosure provides an apparatus, comprising a metallic body having at least one sidewall, wherein the sidewall encloses a void, and an expandable material retained within the void and encased by the sidewall; wherein the void comprises a first volume at a first temperature; and wherein, at a second temperature of at least about 500° C., the expandable material expands such that the void comprises a second volume, wherein the second volume is greater than the first volume, wherein, via the expansion of the expandable materials, the at least one sidewall exerts a pressure of at least about 150 psig. Methods are also provided.
Claims19
What is claimed is:
- An apparatus, comprising:
- a metallic body having at least one sidewall, wherein the sidewall encloses a void, and an expandable material retained within the void and encased by the sidewall;
- wherein the void comprises a first volume at a first temperature;
- and
- wherein, at a second temperature of at least about 500° C., the expandable material expands such that the void comprises a second volume, wherein the second volume is greater than the first volume,
- wherein, via the expansion of the expandable materials, the at least one sidewall exerts a pressure of at least about 150 psig.
A method, comprising:
- increasing the temperature of a metallic body from a first temperature to a second temperature of at least about 500° C., wherein the metallic body comprises:
- at least one sidewall, wherein the sidewall encloses a central region having an expandable material retained therein via the sidewall;
- concomitant with the increasing temperature step, increasing the volume of the central region via the expansion of the expandable material at the second temperature;
- exerting, via the sidewall of the metallic body, a pressure of at least about 100 psig onto an adjacent object, wherein the adjacent object is in communication with the sidewall.
A method, comprising:
- forming at least one sidewall around an inner void to provide a metallic body having an opening;
- inserting an expandable material into the void via the opening (e.g. pre-pressurized void with gas);
- closing the metallic body, thus completely enclosing the void having an expandable material therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.