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US 5,011,566 AGranted
Method of manufacturing microscopic tube material
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorWesley P. Hoffman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sacificial fiber method to fabricate straight, curved, or coiled tubes as small as 1 micron (0.000004 inches) in diameter with wall thicknesses starting at less than 0.01 microns. These tubes can be made from many of the materials that can be applied to a surface of carbon, glass, or other tube forming fibers and then made to withstand the environment used to remove the fiber. A monolithic piece can be formed where the tubes are channels or holes.
Claims14
A method for forming microscopic hollow tubes comprising the steps of:
- positioning fibers having a diameter of about 1 micron to about 1000 microns and having a predetermined rate of oxidation at specific temperatures in a preform;
- cleaning said fibers;
- placing an inert environment about said fibers;
- adjusting the temperature of said fibers to a deposition temperature of a tube material in the inert environment;
- depositing said tube material on said fibers to coat said fibers, said tube material having a predetermined rate of oxidation at specific temperatures which is lower than the predetermined rate of oxidation at specific temperatures of said fibers;
- placing the coated fibers in an oxidizing environment;
- heating said fibers coated with said tube material in the oxidizing environment to a temperature at which the fibers oxidize at a rate which is at least 10 times faster than the rate of oxidation of said tube material in order to thereby remove said fibers from said tube material by oxidation without damaging the tube material and thereby forming said microscopic hollow tubes.
4 more elements
A method for forming microscopic hollow tubes comprising the steps of:
- positioning carbon fibers of microscopic dimensions having a predetermined rate of oxidation at specific temperatures in a preform;
- cleaning said fibers;
- placing an inert environment about said fibers;
- adjusting the temperature of said fibers to a deposition temperature of a tube material in the inert environment;
- depositing said tube material on said fibers to coat said fibers, said tube material having a reactivity lower than of said fibers;
- placing the coated fibers in a reducing environment;
- and
- heating said fibers coated with said tube material in the reducing environment in order to thereby remove the fibers from said tube material without damaging the tube material and thereby forming microscopic hollow tubes.
5 more elements
A method for forming microscopic hollow tubes comprising the steps of:
- positioning carbon-graphite fibers of microscopic dimension having a predetermined rate of oxidation at specific temperatures in a perform;
- cleaning said fibers;
- placing an inert environment about said fibers;
- adjusting the temperature of said fibers to a deposition temperature of a tube material in the inert environment;
- depositing said tube material onto said fibers to coat said fibers, said tube material having a predetermined rate of oxidation at specific temperatures which is lower than the predetermined rate of oxidation at specific temperatures of said fibers;
- placing the coated fibers in an oxidizing environment of oxygen plasma;
- and
- heating said fibers coated with said tube material in the oxidizing environment to about 100 degrees centigrade at which the fibers oxidize at a rate which is at least 10 times faster than the rate of oxidation of said tube material in order to thereby remove said fibers from said tube material without damaging the tube material and thereby forming said microscopic hollow tubes.
5 more elements
A method for forming microscopic hollow tubes comprising the steps of:
- positioning carbon/graphite fibers of microscopic dimension having a predetermined rate of oxidation at specific temperatures in a preform;
- cleaning said fibers;
- placing an inert environment about said fibers;
- adjusting the temperature of said fibers to a deposition temperature of a tube material in the inert environment;
- deposition said tube material onto said fibers to coat said fibers, said tube material having a predetermined rate of oxidation at specific temperatures which is lower than the predetermined rate of oxidation at specific temperatures of said fibers;
- placing the coated fibers in an oxidizing environment of steam;
- and
- heating said fibers coated with said tube material in the oxidizing environment to about 725 degrees centigrade at which the fibers oxidize at a rate which is at least 10 times faster than the rate of oxidation of said tube material in order to thereby remove said fibers from said tube material without damaging the material and thereby forming said microscopic hollow tubes.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.