figure

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF FORMING ANISOTROPIC POLYPHASE ALLOYS HAVING A MICROSTRUCTURE OF EUTECTIC COMPOSITION IN WHICH LAMELLAE OF ONE PHASE OF THE EUECTIC ARE IMBEDDED IN ANOTHER PHASE OF THE EUTECTIC, SAID LAMELLAE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO A COMMON DIRECTION OVER EXTENDED DISTANCES OF UP TO SEVERAL INCHES, SAID METHOD COMPRISING ESTABLISHING A EUTECTIC ALLOY WHICH IS SELECTED FROM THAT CLASS OF EUTECTICS WHICH SOIDIFY IN THEFORM OF THREEDIMENSIONAL LAMELLAE OF ONE OF THE PHASES IMBEDDED IN ANOTHER PHASE, HEATING THE COMPOSITION TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE EUTECTIC TEMPERATURE TO MELT AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AND TO ESTABLISH A LIQUID-SOLID INTERFACE, UNIDIRECTIONALLY SOLIDIFYING AT THE LIQUID-SOLID INTERFACE BY MOVING THE INTERFACE IN A DIRECTION SUCH AS TO GIVE THE DESIRED LAMELLAR ORIENTATION, SUBJECTING THE INTERFACE TO A COOLING MEDIUM WHILE THE INTERFACE IS MOVING IN SAID DIRECTION TO THEREBY SOLIDIFY THE ALLOY AT SAID INTERFACE, AND REGULATING THE SOLIDIFICATION RATE AND THE THERMAL GRADIENT OF THE LIQUID AT THE LIQUID-SOLID INTERFACE SO THAT THE RATIO OF THE THERMAL GRADIENT IN THE LIQUID PHASE AT THE SOLID-LIQUID INTERFACE TO THE SOLIDIFICATION RATE IS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.1 AND 1000* C./CM.2 HR. TO THEREBY FORM UPON SOLIDFICATION PHASELAMELLAE WHICH ARE NORMAL TO THE LIQUID-SOLID INTERFACE AND PARALLEL TO THE GROWTH DIRECTION OVER EXTENDED DISTANCES OF UP TO SEVERAL INCHES.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF FORMING ANISOTROPIC POLYPHASE ALLOYS HAVING A MICROSTRUCTURE OF EUTECTIC COMPOSITION IN WHICH LAMELLAE OF ONE PHASE OF THE EUECTIC ARE IMBEDDED IN ANOTHER PHASE OF THE EUTECTIC, SAID LAMELLAE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO A COMMON DIRECTION OVER EXTENDED DISTANCES OF UP TO SEVERAL INCHES, SAID METHOD COMPRISING ESTABLISHING A EUTECTIC ALLOY WHICH IS SELECTED FROM THAT CLASS OF EUTECTICS WHICH SOIDIFY IN THEFORM OF THREEDIMENSIONAL LAMELLAE OF ONE OF THE PHASES IMBEDDED IN ANOTHER PHASE, HEATING THE COMPOSITION TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE EUTECTIC TEMPERATURE TO MELT AT LEAST A PORTION THEREOF THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE CROSS-SECTIONAL AREA AND TO ESTABLISH A LIQUID-SOLID INTERFACE, UNIDIRECTIONALLY SOLIDIFYING AT THE LIQUID-SOLID INTERFACE BY MOVING THE INTERFACE IN A DIRECTION SUCH AS TO GIVE THE DESIRED LAMELLAR ORIENTATION, SUBJECTING THE INTERFACE TO A COOLING MEDIUM WHILE THE INTERFACE IS MOVING IN SAID DIRECTION TO THEREBY SOLIDIFY THE ALLOY AT SAID INTERFACE, AND REGULATING THE SOLIDIFICATION RATE AND THE THERMAL GRADIENT OF THE LIQUID AT THE LIQUID-SOLID INTERFACE SO THAT THE RATIO OF THE THERMAL GRADIENT IN THE LIQUID PHASE AT THE SOLID-LIQUID INTERFACE TO THE SOLIDIFICATION RATE IS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.1 AND 1000* C./CM.2 HR. TO THEREBY FORM UPON SOLIDFICATION PHASELAMELLAE WHICH ARE NORMAL TO THE LIQUID-SOLID INTERFACE AND PARALLEL TO THE GROWTH DIRECTION OVER EXTENDED DISTANCES OF UP TO SEVERAL INCHES.