Direct bond of steel at low temperatures
AssigneeAgilent Technologies, Inc.
InventorPeisheng Sheng
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The instant invention is directed to a bonded product, such as a manifold, for gas or liquid chromatographs, and a method for making the same. The bonded product is made using the following steps: (i) contacting two or more steel sheets; (ii) heating the contacted sheets to a temperature substantially below the melting temperature of the sheets; (iii) applying pressure to the contacted sheets; and (iv) cooling the contacted sheets. No intermediate foreign material is used to bond the steel sheets, e.g., no welding material or TLP diffusion bonding plate is utilized. Nonetheless, a strong, leak free bond is generated at temperatures as low as 1700° F. (926.6° C.). The bond is molecular in nature, as evidenced by grains that grow from one sheet to another across the interface between the two sheets.
Claims7
A bonded product manufactured in the following manner:
- supplying two 316 or 316L stainless steel sheets with each having a flat major surface with no layer thereon to promote bonding;
- bringing the flat major surface of the each of the sheets into contacting relationship with each other and thereby forming an interface between them;
- heating the contacting sheets in a vacuum furnace to a temperature substantially below melting temperature of such sheets;
- urging the contacting sheets together under a load while the sheets are being heated;
- and
- cooling the contacting sheets while under the load, the heating, loading, and cooling being sufficient to bond the sheets together by causing the grains of the stainless steel sheets to grow across the interface from one sheet to the other sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.