Probes for the ultrasonic treatment or inspection of molten aluminum
AssigneeReynolds Metals Company
InventorThomas L. Mansfield
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Special probes for the ultrasonic inspection or treatment of molten aluminum are described. Such probes employ a special working tip which is made essentially of titanium and is capped with a coating of aluminum by a vacuum vaporization process. Also described is a process for making such probes.
Claims19
An improved probe for conducting ultrasonic mechanical energy between a transducer device and an aluminum melt;
- where said probe comprises a working tip consisting of titanium, and a coating of aluminum which has been volatilized and deposited on said working tip in a vacuum;
- and said probe is further characterized in that upon the immersion of said working tip in an aluminum melt at temperatures up to about 850.degree. C., said working tip is wetted by molten aluminum in about one minute or less.
An improved probe for conducting ultrasonic mechanical energy between a transducer device and an aluminum melt;
- where said probe comprises a working tip made essentially of titanium, and a coating of aluminum wherein said coating has been formed on said working tip by sequential steps comprising:
- (a) chemical etching the surface of said working tip to clean said surface, and to remove titanium oxides and other reaction products from said surface;
- (b) situating said working tip in a vacuum atmosphere;
- (c) bombarding the surface of said working tip with ionized gas from a glow discharge to further clean said surface, and to further remove titanium oxides and other reaction products from said surface;
- (d) decreasing the pressure of said vacuum atmosphere;
- and
- (e) volatilizing aluminum in said vacuum atmosphere so that the volatilized aluminum is deposited on the surface of said working tip to form said coating.
A process of making a probe for conducting ultrasonic mechanical energy between a transducer device and an aluminum melt, where said process comprises the following sequential steps, starting with a probe working tip which is made essentially of titanium;
- (a) Chemical etching the surface of said working tip to clean said surface, and to remove titanium oxides and other reaction products from said surface;
- (b) Situating said working tip in a vacuum atmosphere;
- (c) Bombarding the surface of said working tip with ionized gas from a glow discharge to further clean said surface, and to further remove titanium oxides and other reaction products from said surface;
- (d) Decreasing the pressure of said vacuum atmosphere;
- and
- (e) Volatilizing aluminum in said vacuum atmosphere so that the volatilized aluminum is deposited on the surface of said working tip to form a coating thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.