Microscopic tube material
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorWesley P. Hoffman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention offers a unique method to fabricate unique, 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.
Claims18
A tube preform, comprising:
- a plurality of microscopic hollow tubes, said microscopic hollow tubes being oriented in a predetermined configuration and having an inner diameter in the size range of about 1 micron to less than 50 microns, said microscopic hollow tubes having a wall thickness in the size range of from about 0.01 microns to about 10,000 microns, said tubes being formed on fibers having an outer diameter equal to said inner diameter of said tubes, the fibers being removed to leave said tubes, said tubes being originally formed in its final shape and diameter, and
- a bonding material, said bonding material holding said hollow tubes in the shape of said preform.
A monolithic body comprising at least one preform, each preform being made up of a plurality of microscopic hollow tubes oriented in a predetermined configuration and having an inner diameter in the size range of from about 1 micron to less than 50 microns, said microscopic hollow tubes having a wall thickness in the size range of from about 0.01 microns to about 10,000 microns, a material filling spaces between said microscopic hollow tubes, said material being of a different composition than said tubes, said tubes being formed on fibers having an outer diameter equal to said inner diameter of said tubes, the fibers being removed to leave said tubes, said tubes being originally formed in its final shape and diameter.
A monolithic body comprising at least one preform, each preform being made up of a plurality of microscopic hollow tubes oriented in a predetermined configuration and having an inner diameter which can range in size from about 1 micron to about 4 microns, said microscopic hollow tubes having a wall thickness which can range in size from about 0.01 microns to about 10,000 microns, a material filling spaces between said microscopic hollow tubes, said material being of the same composition as said tubes, said tubes being formed on fibers having an outer diameter equal to said inner diameter of said tubes, the fibers being removed to leave said tubes, said tubes being originally formed in its final shape and diameter.
A free-standing microscopic hollow tube, said free-standing microscopic hollow tube comprising a single microscopic hollow tube having an inner diameter in the size range of about 1 micron to less than 50 microns and having a wall thickness in the size range of from 0.01 microns to about 10,000 microns, said tube being formed on a fiber having an outer diameter equal to said inner diameter of said tube, the fiber being removed to leave said tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.