Method of chemically milling a metallic workpiece

Claim 1

A METHOD OF CHEMICALLY MILLING A METALLIC WORKPIECE COMPRISING: (A) APPLYING TO THE SURFACE OF SAID WORKPIECE A CURABLE MASKANT COMPOSITION COMPRISING A MATRIX, WHICH MATRIX COMPRISES A RUBBERY POLYMER, AND A MATERIAL FILLER WHEREIN, IN THE CURED CONDITION OF THE POLYMER THE REFRACTIVE INDICES OF THE MATRIX AND OF THE FILLER DIFFER BY LESS THAN ABOUT 0.5 UNITS; (B) CURING SAID MASKANT TO FORM A SELF-SUPPORTING, CONTINUOUS, PEELABLE, HOMOGENEOUS, TRANSLUCENT MASK WHICH IS ADHERENT TO AND CONTIGUOUS WITH THE SURFACE OF THE WORKPIECE, SAID MASK ALSO BEING RESISTANT TO CHEMICAL MILLING SOLUTIONS; (C) SCRIBING A DESIGN IN THE MASK; (D) PEELING FROM THE WORKPIECE SURFACE THE AREA OF THE MASK FORMING THE SCOIBED DESIGN TO PROVIDE AN EXPOSED PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE; AND (E) SUBJECTING SAID EXPOSED PORTION TO A CHEMICAL MILLING SOLUTION.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF CHEMICALLY MILLING A METALLIC WORKPIECE COMPRISING: (A) APPLYING TO THE SURFACE OF SAID WORKPIECE A CURABLE MASKANT COMPOSITION COMPRISING A MATRIX, WHICH MATRIX COMPRISES A RUBBERY POLYMER, AND A MATERIAL FILLER WHEREIN, IN THE CURED CONDITION OF THE POLYMER THE REFRACTIVE INDICES OF THE MATRIX AND OF THE FILLER DIFFER BY LESS THAN ABOUT 0.5 UNITS; (B) CURING SAID MASKANT TO FORM A SELF-SUPPORTING, CONTINUOUS, PEELABLE, HOMOGENEOUS, TRANSLUCENT MASK WHICH IS ADHERENT TO AND CONTIGUOUS WITH THE SURFACE OF THE WORKPIECE, SAID MASK ALSO BEING RESISTANT TO CHEMICAL MILLING SOLUTIONS; (C) SCRIBING A DESIGN IN THE MASK; (D) PEELING FROM THE WORKPIECE SURFACE THE AREA OF THE MASK FORMING THE SCOIBED DESIGN TO PROVIDE AN EXPOSED PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE; AND (E) SUBJECTING SAID EXPOSED PORTION TO A CHEMICAL MILLING SOLUTION.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF CHEMICALLY MILLING A METALLIC WORKPIECE, COMPRISING: (A) APPLYING TO THE SURFACE OF SAID WORKPIECE A CURABLE MASKANT COMPOSITION COMPRISING A MATRIX, WHICH MATRIX COMPRISES A RUBBERY POLYMER, AND A MINERAL FILLER, IN THE CURED CONDITION OF WHICH A LAYER OF SAID MASKANT HAS A FIRST CONDITION OF VISIBILITY IN AN UNDISTURBED CONDITION, AND AFTER HAVING BEEN CUT, HAVING A SECOND CONDITION OF VISIBILITY AT THE BOUNDARY OF THE INCISION, THE SECOND CONDITION BEING MORE EVIDENT UNDER ILLUNIATION THAN THE FIRST CONDITION; (B) CURING SAID MASKANT TO FORM A SELF-SUPPORTING, CONTINUOUS, PEELABLE, HOMOGENOUS, TRANSLUCENT MASK WHICH IS ADHERENT TO AND CONTIGUOUS WITH THE SURFACE OF THE WORKPIECE, SAID MASK ALSO BEING RESISTANT TO CHEMICAL MILLING SOLUTIONS; (C) SCRIBING A DESIGN IN THE MASK; (D) PEELING FROM THE WORKPIECE SURFACE THE AREA OF THE MASK FORMING THE SCRIBED DESIGN TO PROVIDE AN EXPOSED PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE; AND (E) SUBJECTING SAID EXPOSED PORTION TO A CHEMICAL MILLING SOLUTION.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF CHEMICALLY MILLING A METALLIC WORKPIECE, COMPRISING: (A) APPLYING TO THE SURFACE OF SAID WORKPIECE A CURABLE MASKANT COMPOSITION COMPRISING A MATRIX, WHICH MATRIX COMPRISES A RUBBERY POLYMER, AND A MINERAL FILLER, IN THE CURED CONDITION OF WHICH A LAYER OF SAID MASKANT HAS A FIRST CONDITION OF VISIBILITY IN AN UNDISTURBED CONDITION, AND AFTER HAVING BEEN CUT, HAVING A SECOND CONDITION OF VISIBILITY AT THE BOUNDARY OF THE INCISION, THE SECOND CONDITION BEING MORE EVIDENT UNDER ILLUNIATION THAN THE FIRST CONDITION; (B) CURING SAID MASKANT TO FORM A SELF-SUPPORTING, CONTINUOUS, PEELABLE, HOMOGENOUS, TRANSLUCENT MASK WHICH IS ADHERENT TO AND CONTIGUOUS WITH THE SURFACE OF THE WORKPIECE, SAID MASK ALSO BEING RESISTANT TO CHEMICAL MILLING SOLUTIONS; (C) SCRIBING A DESIGN IN THE MASK; (D) PEELING FROM THE WORKPIECE SURFACE THE AREA OF THE MASK FORMING THE SCRIBED DESIGN TO PROVIDE AN EXPOSED PORTION OF THE WORKPIECE; AND (E) SUBJECTING SAID EXPOSED PORTION TO A CHEMICAL MILLING SOLUTION.