Process for forming seamless tubing of zirconium or titanium alloys from welded precursors
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsGeorge P. Sabol, Robert F. Barry
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Seamless tubing is formed from welded precursors of zirconium or titanium material by heating successive axial segments of welded tubing completely through the wall of the tubing to convert the material to the beta phase and then rapidly quenching the segments, with the heating and quenching effected so as to prevent the growth of beta grains within the material.
Claims15
A process for forming seamless tubing of a material selected from zirconium, zirconium alloys, titanium, and titanium alloys, from welded precursor tubing of said material, having a heterogeneous structure resulting from the welding thereof, comprising:
- heating succesive axial segments of the welded tubing, completely through the wall thereof, including the weld, to uniformly transform the heterogeneous, as welded, material into the beta phase;
- quenching said beta phase tubing segments, said heating and quenching effected sufficiently rapid enough to produce a fine sized beta grain structure completely throughout the precursor tubing, including the weld, and to prevent growth of beta grains within the material larger than 200 micrometers in diameter;
- and
- subsequently substantially uniformly deforming said quenched precursor tubing by cold reduction steps to produce a seamless tubing of final size and shape.
A process for forming seamless tubing of a material selected from zirconium, zirconium alloys, titanium, and titanium alloys, comprising:
- welding the confronting ends of a rolled sheet of said material together to form a welded precursor tubing of said material, having a heterogeneous structure resulting from the welding thereof;
- heating successive axial segments of the welded tubing, completely through the wall thereof, including the weld, to uniformly transform the heterogeneous, as welded, material into the beta phase;
- quenching said beta phase tubing segments, said heating and quenching effected sufficiently rapid enough to produce a fine sized beta grain structure completely throughout said tubing segments, including the weld, and to prevent growth of beta grains within the material larger than 200 micrometers in diameter;
- and
- subsequently substantially uniformly deforming said quenched precursor tubing by cold reduction steps to produce a seamless tubing of final size and shape.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.