Method of metallizing holes and cavities with a refractory metal

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING A METAL COATING ON A SURFACE OF A BODY AND THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF A DEEP HOLE THEREIN WHICH COMPRISES ESSENTIALLY FILLING THE HOLE WITH A MIXTURE OF GRANULES OF AN INERT SOLID MATERIAL AND SALT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE CHOSEN FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ALKALI AND ALKALINE EARTH METAL HALIDES, SANDWICHING A THIN LAYER OF SALT CHOSEN FROM THE SAME GROUP AS THE SALT IN THE HOLE BETWEEN A LAYER OF COATING METAL FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM AND URANIUM AND THE SURFACE TO BE COATED, AND THEN HEATING THE RESULTANT SANDWICH ASSEMBLY TO A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO MELT THE SALT AND DEPOSIT A COATING OF METAL ON THE SURFACE OF SAID BODY AND THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF EACH DEEP HOLE AND CAVITY, THE THICKNESS OF THE LAYER OF SALT BEING SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE A LIQUID BOUNDARY BETWEEN SAID LAYER OF METAL AND THE SURFACE TO BE COATED WHEN THE SALT MELTS, THE SIZE AND QUANTITY OF THE GRANULES OF INERT MATERIAL MAKING UP THE MIXTURE IN THE HOLE BEING CHOSEN SO THAT THE GRANULES REMAIN SOLID AND LOOSELY PACKED IN THE HOLE AT THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE ASSEMBLY IS HEATED AND PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT AREA SO THAT THE SURFACE TENSION OF THE MOLTEN SALT WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE AREA OF THE GRANULES TENDS TO HOLD THE MOLTEN SALT IN THE HOLE AND EFFECTIVELY WETS THE ENTIRE SURFACE THEREOF.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FORMING A METAL COATING ON A SURFACE OF A BODY AND THE INTERIOR SURFACES OF A DEEP HOLE THEREIN WHICH COMPRISES ESSENTIALLY FILLING THE HOLE WITH A MIXTURE OF GRANULES OF AN INERT SOLID MATERIAL AND SALT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE CHOSEN FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ALKALI AND ALKALINE EARTH METAL HALIDES, SANDWICHING A THIN LAYER OF SALT CHOSEN FROM THE SAME GROUP AS THE SALT IN THE HOLE BETWEEN A LAYER OF COATING METAL FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM AND URANIUM AND THE SURFACE TO BE COATED, AND THEN HEATING THE RESULTANT SANDWICH ASSEMBLY TO A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO MELT THE SALT AND DEPOSIT A COATING OF METAL ON THE SURFACE OF SAID BODY AND THE INTERIOR SURFACE OF EACH DEEP HOLE AND CAVITY, THE THICKNESS OF THE LAYER OF SALT BEING SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE A LIQUID BOUNDARY BETWEEN SAID LAYER OF METAL AND THE SURFACE TO BE COATED WHEN THE SALT MELTS, THE SIZE AND QUANTITY OF THE GRANULES OF INERT MATERIAL MAKING UP THE MIXTURE IN THE HOLE BEING CHOSEN SO THAT THE GRANULES REMAIN SOLID AND LOOSELY PACKED IN THE HOLE AT THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE ASSEMBLY IS HEATED AND PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT AREA SO THAT THE SURFACE TENSION OF THE MOLTEN SALT WITH RESPECT TO THE SURFACE AREA OF THE GRANULES TENDS TO HOLD THE MOLTEN SALT IN THE HOLE AND EFFECTIVELY WETS THE ENTIRE SURFACE THEREOF.