Arc spray fabrication of metal matrix composite monotape
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
InventorLeonard J. Westfall
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Arc metal spraying is used to spray liquid metal onto an array of high strength fibers that have been previously wound onto a large drum contained inside a controlled atmosphere chamber. This chamber is first evacuated to remove gaseous contaminants and then backfilled with a neutral gas up to atmospheric pressure. This process is used to produce a large size metal matrix composite monotape.
Claims10
A method of making a metal matrix composite monotape comprising the steps of
- mounting an array of fibers on a support means in a chamber,
- evacuating said chamber to remove gaseous contaminants therefrom,
- filling said chamber with a neutral gas until the pressure within said chamber is above atmospheric,
- inserting a pair of wires of the matrix metal into feed-through openings in a wall of said chamber and feeding said wires into said chamber until the extreme outermost ends thereof are in close proximity to said fiber array,
- striking an arc between said outermost end portions thereby causing the same to melt, and
- passing a high velocity stream of said neutral gas at a pressure between about 60 psi and about 120 psi through said arc into said chamber thereby forcing molten matrix metal from said arc in said stream to spray onto said array in said contaminant free atmosphere.
In a method of making a metal matrix composite monotape wherein at least one metal is arc sprayed onto an array of fibers, the improvement comprising the steps of
- mounting said fiber array in a chamber having an opening therein for passing a supply of said metal to the interior thereof during said arc spraying,
- sealing said opening in said chamber,
- evacuating said chamber to remove gaseous contaminants therefrom,
- filling said evacuated chamber with a neutral gas until the pressure within said chamber is above atmospheric,
- unsealing said opening in said chamber when the same is filled with said neutral gas,
- passing said supply of metal through said opening into close proximity to said fiber array,
- striking an arc at said metal adjacent to said fiber array thereby melting a portion of said metal, and
- passing a high velocity stream of said neutral gas at a pressure between about 60 psi and about 120 psi through said arc into said chamber thereby arc spraying said metal onto said fibers in said array in said neutral gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.