Formation of halide optical elements by hydrostatic press forging
AssigneeHoneywell Inc.
InventorRogers H. Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fine-grained halide bodies are formed which have comparable optical properties to a single crystal halide body. The halide bodies are formed by press forging while an essentially constant fluid pressure is applied to the halide body.
Claims10
In a method of forming a fine-grained halide body by hot press forging an essentially single crystal halide body to reduce a dimension of the halide body along a first axis and cause a corresponding expansion of the halide body in directions normal to the first axis, thereby producing a fine-grained structure in the halide body, the improvement comprising applying, with a fluid which does not chemically react with the halide body, an essentially hydrostatic fluid pressure to the halide body while hot press forging, the fluid pressure being sufficient to inhibit cracking of the halide body while hot press forging.
A method of forming a fine-grained halide optical element, the method comprising:
- placing an essentially single crystal halide body in a chamber;
- causing motion of a piston along a first axis in the chamber to compress the crystalline halide body along the first axis and to cause a corresponding expansion of the halide body in directions normal to the first axis, thereby producing a fine-grained structure in the halide body;
- heating the halide body while causing motion of the piston;
- and
- applying, with a fluid which does not chemically react with the halide body, a hydrostatic fluid pressure to the halide body while compressing the halide body, the hydrostatic fluid pressure being sufficient to inhibit cracking of the halide body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.