Process for the production of wrought nickel strip and sheet of low hardness

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR PRODUCING NICKEL SHEET AND STRIP HAVING A DENSITY OF ABOUT 100% OF THE THEORETICAL DENSITY AND A HARDNESS BELOW ABOUT 35 ROCKWELL 30T HARDNESS SCALE WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (A) ROLL COMPACTING NICKEL PARTICLES OF RANDOM SIZES SMALLER THAN ABOUT 300 MICRONS TO PRODUCE A GREEN STRIP OR SHEET HAVING A DENSITY LESS THAN 10% OF THE THEORETICAL DENSITY; (B) SINTERING SAID STRIP IN A FLOWING WET HYDROGEN ATMOSPHERE AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 1500*F. TO ABOUT 2100*F. TO LOWER THE SULPHUR CONTENT OF SAID STRIP TO BELOW ABOUT 0.003% BY WEIGHT AND THE CARBON CONTENT OF SAID STRIP TO BELOW ABOUT 0.005% BY WEIGHT; (C) HOT ROLLING SAID SINTERED STRIP OR SHEET TO INCREASE THE DENSITY THEREOF TO ABOUT 100% OF THE THEORETICAL DENSITY; (D) COOLING SAID STRIP OF SHEET UNDER A PROTECTIVE ATMOSPHERE PHERE TO ABOUT NORMAL ROOM TEMPERATURE; (E) COLD WORKING SAID STRIP OR SHEET; AND (F) THEREAFTER HEATING SAID STRIP OF SHEET AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM ABOUT 1200*F. TO ABOUT 18000*F. FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUFFICIENT TO REDUCE THE HARDNESS THEREOF TO A SELECTED VALUE BELOW 35 ROCKWELL 30T HARDNESS.