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US 5,507,982 AGranted
Method of large sphere production at zero gravity
OwnerGregory R. Brotzinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of creating large hollow spheres and other shapes and structures produced according to such method, such method including suspending in a zero gravity environment a molten material mixed with a blowing agent which is caused to foam, expanding into a mass wherein the exterior sphere wall is solidified and the interior is hollowed out.
Claims6
A method to create a hollow structure comprising the steps of:
- mixing a blowing agent with molten material;
- suspending said mixture in a zero gravity environment;
- foaming said material to form a cellular mass having cell walls by action of the blowing agent with said molten material, said cellular mass having an exterior outside surface and an interior of inner cells;
- expanding the volume of said molten material by said foaming;
- forming a shape of said molten foamed material cellular mass;
- cooling the outside surface of said structure, said interior inner cells remaining molten;
- solidifying said outside surface by said cooling;
- accessing said interior inner cells;
- breaking the interior inner cell walls of said foamed material structure;
- forming a hollow interior in said structure by said breaking of said inner cell walls, allowing the broken cell wall material to coalesce on the inside of the solidified outer surface of said structure;
- cooling said coalesced cell wall material;
- and
- forming a structure wall having a solid inside surface within said solid outside surface by said cooling of said remaining molten material.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.