Method of making intermetallic compound-composition bodies

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF MAKING FINE-GRAINED HIGH DENSITY BODIES OF PREDETERMINED SIZE AND SHAPE, WHICH BODIES, AT TEMPERATURES OF FROM 2000 TO 2900*F., HAVE HIGH STRENGTH AND HIGH OXIDATION RESISTANCE, AND COMPRISING PLACING IN AN DIE A POWDER, OF PARTICLE SIZE OF 200 MESH OR FINER, CONSISTING OF ONE METAL SELECTED FROM A FIRST GROUP CONSISTING OF BERYLLIUM AND ALUMINUM, AND ONE METAL M SELECTED FROM A SECOND GROUP CONSISTING OF NIOBIUM, ZIRCONIUM, MOLYBEDENUM AND TANTALUM, THE METAL OF THE FIRST GROUP BEING, BY WEIGHT, NOT MORE THAN A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT, AND THE BALANCE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE METAL M, SAID PREDETERMINED AMOUNT BEING, FOR BERYLLIUM, NOT TO EXCEED SUBSTANTIALLY STOICHIOMETRIC PROPORTIONS CORRESPONDING TO MBE13, AND FOR ALUMINUM NOT TO EXCEED SUBSTANTIALLY THE STOICHIOMETRIC PROPORTION CORRESPONDING TO MAL3, THEN SUBJECTING THE POWDER IN THE DIE TO A VACUUM AND CONCURRENTLY THEREWITH APPLYING AND MAINTAINING ON THE POWDER IN THE DIE MECHANICAL PRESSURE AT ABOUT 1000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH UNTIL THE AIR AND VAPORS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVED THEREFROM, THEN, WHILE MAINTAINING THE VACUUM AND MECHANICAL PRESSURE, GRADUALLY HEATING THE POWDER IN THE DIE AND, BEFORE SINTERING TEMPERATURE OF THE POWDER IS REACHED, INCREASING THE PRESSURE UNTIL A HIGHER MECHANICAL PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO RESULT IN COMPACTION OF THE SINTERED MATERIAL TO SUBSTANTIALLY THEORETICAL DENSITY AND SAID SINTERING TEMPERATURE ARE REACHED, THEN DISCONTINUING THE APPLICATION OF THE MECHANICAL PRESSURE AND MAINTAINING THE SAID SINTERING TEMPERATURE FOR A PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO ANNEAL THE BODY, AND THEN ALLOWING THE BODY TO COOL SLOWLY TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF MAKING FINE-GRAINED HIGH DENSITY BODIES OF PREDETERMINED SIZE AND SHAPE, WHICH BODIES, AT TEMPERATURES OF FROM 2000 TO 2900*F., HAVE HIGH STRENGTH AND HIGH OXIDATION RESISTANCE, AND COMPRISING PLACING IN AN DIE A POWDER, OF PARTICLE SIZE OF 200 MESH OR FINER, CONSISTING OF ONE METAL SELECTED FROM A FIRST GROUP CONSISTING OF BERYLLIUM AND ALUMINUM, AND ONE METAL M SELECTED FROM A SECOND GROUP CONSISTING OF NIOBIUM, ZIRCONIUM, MOLYBEDENUM AND TANTALUM, THE METAL OF THE FIRST GROUP BEING, BY WEIGHT, NOT MORE THAN A PREDETERMINED AMOUNT, AND THE BALANCE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE METAL M, SAID PREDETERMINED AMOUNT BEING, FOR BERYLLIUM, NOT TO EXCEED SUBSTANTIALLY STOICHIOMETRIC PROPORTIONS CORRESPONDING TO MBE13, AND FOR ALUMINUM NOT TO EXCEED SUBSTANTIALLY THE STOICHIOMETRIC PROPORTION CORRESPONDING TO MAL3, THEN SUBJECTING THE POWDER IN THE DIE TO A VACUUM AND CONCURRENTLY THEREWITH APPLYING AND MAINTAINING ON THE POWDER IN THE DIE MECHANICAL PRESSURE AT ABOUT 1000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH UNTIL THE AIR AND VAPORS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY REMOVED THEREFROM, THEN, WHILE MAINTAINING THE VACUUM AND MECHANICAL PRESSURE, GRADUALLY HEATING THE POWDER IN THE DIE AND, BEFORE SINTERING TEMPERATURE OF THE POWDER IS REACHED, INCREASING THE PRESSURE UNTIL A HIGHER MECHANICAL PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO RESULT IN COMPACTION OF THE SINTERED MATERIAL TO SUBSTANTIALLY THEORETICAL DENSITY AND SAID SINTERING TEMPERATURE ARE REACHED, THEN DISCONTINUING THE APPLICATION OF THE MECHANICAL PRESSURE AND MAINTAINING THE SAID SINTERING TEMPERATURE FOR A PERIOD SUFFICIENT TO ANNEAL THE BODY, AND THEN ALLOWING THE BODY TO COOL SLOWLY TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.