Method of forming a thin sheet of an amalgam
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorEdward J. Ozimek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid, thin sheet of an amalgam is formed by first mixing together a liquid metal and one or more powdered metals to form the amalgam in liquid form. The liquid amalgam is then spread out over a surface to form a thin layer of the liquid amalgam. The temperature of the thin layer of amalgam is then reduced to below the melting temperature of the liquid metal in the amalgam to form a solid sheet of the amalgam. The solid thin sheet of amalgam can then be removed from the surface. The solid thin sheet of amalgam can be stored at the lower temperature until it is desired to use the amalgam.
Claims15
A method of making a solid sheet of an amalgam suitable for subsequent use comprising the steps of:
- mixing together a liquid metal and a powdered metal to form the amalgam in liquid pourable form at a temperature of at least the melting temperature of the liquid metal;
- spreading the liquid amalgam before it begins to stiffen on a surface to form a layer of the amalgam having a desired thinness;
- and
- lowering the temperature of the liquid layer of amalgam before it begins to stiffen below the melting temperature of the liquid metal in the amalgam to form a solid sheet of the amalgam which can be handled and stored as a structural piece and subsequently used.
A method of fabricating and storing for subsequent use a piece of amalgam having suitable thinness and shape and useful for bonding or sealing electronic devices sensitive to high temperature, said method comprising the steps of:
- mixing together a liquid metal having a melting temperature at or below about 30.degree. C. with a metal powder to form a fluid mixture which in a short time near said melting temperature begins to stiffen;
- quickly thereafter before the fluid metal mixture begins to stiffen and at a temperature above the melting point of the liquid metal, spreading the still fluid metal mixture onto a surface to form a substantially uniform layer of the metal mixture having a desired thinness;
- lowering the temperature of the liquid metal mixture layer to freeze it into a solid layer;
- removing the solid metal layer from the surface and forming it into a piece having a desired shape for subsequent use;
- and
- maintaining the piece at a temperature which is low enough to inhibit amalgamation of the piece for a useful period of time such that when the piece is subsequently used it melts to seal or bond a device at a low enough temperature so as to not damage the device and the piece subsequently amalgamates so as to form an amalgamated piece which has a high enough melting point to be compatible with the operating temperature of the device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.