# US 7,608,344 B2 · Metal honeycomb substrates for chemical and thermal applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,608,344 B2 - Document ID: US7608344B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/566,197 - Filed: 2004-07-29 - Published: 2008-06-12 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2004-07-29 - Assignees: Corning Incorporated - Inventors: John Steele Abbott, III; Thorsten Rolf Boger; Lin He; Samir Khanna; Kenneth Richard Miller; Charles Mitchel Sorensen, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7608344B2 ## CPC - C22F 1/04: of aluminium or alloys based thereon - B21C 23/14: Making other products - B21C 23/32: Lubrication of metal being extruded or of dies, or the like, e.g. physical state of lubricant, location where lubricant is applied - B21C 25/02: Dies - B21C 29/04: of press heads, dies, or mandrels - B21J 5/004: {Thixotropic process, i.e. forging at semi-solid state} - B22F 3/1115: {comprising complex forms, e.g. honeycombs} - B22F 3/20: by extruding - B22F 2003/026: {Mold wall lubrication or article surface lubrication} - Y10T 29/4935: Heat exchanger or boiler making - Y10T 428/1234: Honeycomb, or with grain orientation or elongated elements in defined angular relationship in respective components [e.g., parallel, inter- secting, etc.] - C22F: CHANGING THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF NON-FERROUS METALS AND NON-FERROUS ALLOYS (surface treatment of metallic material involving at least one process provided for in class C23 and at least one process covered by this subclass, C23F17/00) - B21C: MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES, PROFILES OR LIKE SEMI-MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL - B21J: FORGING; HAMMERING; PRESSING METAL; RIVETING; FORGE FURNACES (rolling of metal B21B; making particular products by forging or pressing B21K; cladding or plating B23K; finishing surfaces by hammering B23P9/04; compacting surfaces by blasting with particulate material B24C1/10; general features of presses, presses for consolidating scrap B30B; furnaces in general F27) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Extruded metal honeycombs are produced by the direct extrusion of a softened bulk metal feedstock through a honey-comb extrusion die comprising a feedhole array for delivering softened metal through a supporting die baseplate to a honeycomb die discharge section, the discharge section comprising an array of intersecting discharge slots that form the walls of an extruded metal honeycomb structure. This process can be optimized by employing a proper pressure gradient for a particular extrudate flow rate, extrudate composition, and wall-drag condition arising from the particular composition of the feedhole wall, as illustrated graphically in FIG. 4. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for making an extruded metal honeycomb article comprising the steps of: heating a metal feed stock to a temperature effective to provide a softened bulk metal feed charge, wherein the metal feed stock does not comprise a metal powder; forcing the feed charge into and through an array of feedholes provided in a body plate of a honeycomb extrusion die; thereafter forcing the feed from the feedholes through an intersecting array of discharge slots connecting with the feedholes in a discharge section of the honeycomb extrusion die, thereby to shape the charge into a metal extrudate comprising an interconnected wall structure forming channels and channel walls for a metal honeycomb; and cooling the extrudate to a temperature below the softening temperature of the metal feed stock. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the honeycomb extrusion die comprises die entrance surfaces and/or die internal surfaces that are inclined toward the direction of metal flow through the die. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least the feedholes are provided with at least one of (a) chamfered inlet surfaces and (b) release coatings or lubricants effective to limit the feedhole wall drag coefficient to a value not exceeding 103 psi-s/inch. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein the release coating is a vapor-deposited or liquid applied coating selected from the group consisting of graphite suspensions, soap lubricants, phosphate polymers, polymer-graphite mixtures, metal nitride vapor coatings, metal carbide vapor coatings, and metal carbonitride vapor coatings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A method in accordance with claim 3 wherein the release coating is a vapor deposited coating consisting of a combination of TiCN and alumina. ### Claim 6 An extruded metal honeycomb article comprising: a channeled metal body of unitary structure incorporating a two-dimensional array of parallel channels extending in a third dimension from a first end face to a second end face of the body, the channels being spaced to provide a honeycomb cell density of from 10 to 40 cells per square inch of honeycomb cross-section as measured transverse to the direction of the channels in the array; and interconnecting channel walls defining the channels, the channel walls being of a thickness in the range of about 0.001-0.1 inches from the first end face to the second end face of the body, being formed of a bulk metal having a porosity below 5% by volume, and being substantially free of channel wall discontinuities in directions transverse to the direction of honeycomb channel orientation in the article. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) An extruded metal honeycomb article in accordance with claim 6 having a composition selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, copper, and copper alloys. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) An extruded metal honeycomb article in accordance with claim 7 wherein the channels have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of round, polygonal of 3-8 sides, polygonal of 3-8 sides with rounded corners, and internally finned shapes. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) An extruded metal honeycomb article in accordance with claim 7 wherein the channels are of square or triangular cross-sectional shape. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) An extruded metal honeycomb article in accordance with claim 6 which is a catalyst support. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) An extruded metal honeycomb article in accordance with claim 6 which is a heat exchange structure. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) An extruded metal honeycomb article in accordance with claim 6, which comprises a honeycomb cell density of from 15 to 40 cells per square inch of honeycomb cross-section as measured transverse to the direction of the channels in the array. ### Claim 13 A method for making an extruded metal honeycomb article comprising the steps of: heating a metal feed stock to a temperature effective to provide a softened bulk metal feed charge, wherein the metal feed stock is selected from bar stock, tubing stock, ingots, and billets; forcing the feed charge into and through an array of feedholes provided in a body plate of a honeycomb extrusion die; thereafter forcing the feed from the feedholes through an intersecting array of discharge slots connecting with the feedholes in a discharge section of the honeycomb extrusion die, thereby to shape the charge into a metal extrudate comprising an interconnected wall structure forming channels and channel walls for a metal honeycomb; and cooling the extrudate to a temperature below the softening temperature of the metal feed stock.