Joining of non-metallic materials and brazing filler rods therefor

Claim 1

A COMPOSITE BRAZING FILLER MATERIAL CAPABLE OF WETTING AND JOINING NON-METALLIC MATERIALS WHICH COMPRISES A CENTRAL CORE CONTAINING A METAL OF THE GROUP, WHICH CONSISTS OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, THORIUM, AND HAFNIUM, SAID METAL BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT RANGING FROM ABOUT 1% TO ABOUT 15% BY WEIGHT OF THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL, AND A SHEAT TIGHTLY ENCLOSING THE CORE AND MADE OF A FACE CENTERED CUBIC, DUCTILE METAL HAVING A MELTING POINT BETWEEN 1000* F. AND 2000* F. AND A CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC LATTICE CONSTANT BETWEEN 3.6 AND 4.10, THE SHEATH METAL, WHEN MOLTEN, BEING CAPABLE OF DISSOLVING THE ACTIVE METAL OF THE CORE IN THE AMOUNT OF AT LEAST 1% OF THE WEIGHT OF THE SHEATH METAL TO FORM AN ALLOY CAPABLE OF WETTING NONMETALLIC MATERIALS.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF MAKING A BRAZING ALLOY JOINT BETWEEN TWO SURFACES, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS NON-METALLIC, WHICH COMPRISES PLACING IN PROXIMITY TO SAID SURFACES A BRAZING COMPOSITION MADE UP OF A CORE CONTAINING AN ACTIVE METAL, WHICH IS A METAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, THORIUM, AND HAFNIUM AND A SURROUNDING SHEATH OF A DUCTILE METAL, WHICH HAS A LOWER MELTING POINT THAN THE ACTIVE METAL AND IS CAPABLE, WHEN MOLTEN, OF DISSOLVING THE ACTIVE METAL OF THE CORE IN THE AMOUNT OF AT LEAST 1% OF THE WEIGHT OF THE SHEATH METAL TO FORM AN ALLOY CAPABLE OF WETTING NON-METALLIC MATERIALS, APPLYING HEAT TO THE BRAZING COMPOSITION SUFFICIENT TO MELT A PORTION OF THE SHEATH METAL AND FORM A MOLTEN BODY THEREOF IN CONTACT WITH SAID SURFACES, HOLDING THE BRAZING COMPOSITION IN CONTACT WITH SAID MOLTEN BODY UNTIL SUCH AN AMOUNT OF THE ACTIVE METAL HAS DISSOLVED IN SAID MOLTEN BODY AS TO FORM AN ALLOY, WHICH WET SAID SURFACES, AND MAINTAINING ABOUT SAID MOLTEN BODY AN ATMOSPHERE SUBSTANTIALLY INERT TO THE MOLTEN BODY OF SAID ALLOY.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF MAKING A BRAZING ALLOY JOINT BETWEEN TWO SURFACES, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS NON-METALLIC, WHICH COMPRISES PLACING IN PROXIMITY TO SAID SURFACES A BRAZING COMPOSITION MADE UP OF A CORE CONTAINING AN ACTIVE METAL, WHICH IS A METAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, THORIUM, AND HAFNIUM AND A SURROUNDING SHEATH OF A DUCTILE METAL, WHICH HAS A LOWER MELTING POINT THAN THE ACTIVE METAL AND IS CAPABLE, WHEN MOLTEN, OF DISSOLVING THE ACTIVE METAL OF THE CORE IN THE AMOUNT OF AT LEAST 1% OF THE WEIGHT OF THE SHEATH METAL TO FORM AN ALLOY CAPABLE OF WETTING NON-METALLIC MATERIALS, APPLYING HEAT TO THE BRAZING COMPOSITION SUFFICIENT TO MELT A PORTION OF THE SHEATH METAL AND FORM A MOLTEN BODY THEREOF IN CONTACT WITH SAID SURFACES, HOLDING THE BRAZING COMPOSITION IN CONTACT WITH SAID MOLTEN BODY UNTIL SUCH AN AMOUNT OF THE ACTIVE METAL HAS DISSOLVED IN SAID MOLTEN BODY AS TO FORM AN ALLOY, WHICH WET SAID SURFACES, AND MAINTAINING ABOUT SAID MOLTEN BODY AN ATMOSPHERE SUBSTANTIALLY INERT TO THE MOLTEN BODY OF SAID ALLOY.