Art of bonding of vacuum metallized coatings to metal substrates

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PREPARING AN ALUMINUM-COATED STEEL SUBSTRATE, WHICH COMPRISES DEGREASING THE SURFACE LAYER OF THE METAL SUBSTRATE WITH A CLEANING LIQUID, TREATING THE DEGREASED SURFACE FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS WITH AN ACID SOLUTION HAVING THE APPROXIMATE STRENGTH OF A 5 WEIGHT PERCENT HYDROCHLORIC ACID SOLUTION WHEREBY HYDROGEN IS STORED IN SAID METAL SURFACE IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM 1 TO 3 PARTS PER MILLION, THEREAFTER TREATING THE SURFACE LAYER OF THE STEEL SUBSTRATE WITH AN ALKALINE SOLUTION HAVING THE APPROXIMATE STRENGTH OF A 1 WEIGHT PERCENT SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS, RINSING THE METAL SURFACE CONTAINING THE HYDROGEN WITH WATER, DRYING THE METAL SURFACE, PLACING THE SUBSTRATE IN VACUO AND THEREIN HEATING TO A TEMPERATURE OF 500 TO 650 DEGREES F. WHEREBY TO CAUSE THE STORED HYDROGEN TO COME FORTH FROM THE SUBSTRATE UNTIL EVOLUTION OF HYDROGEN THEREFROM ESSENTIALLY CEASES, COOLING THE SUBSTRATE TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW 500 DEGREES F. WHILE PREVENTING THE ACCESS OF OXIDIZING GASES THERETO, AND THEREAFTER EFFECTING DEPOSITION OF ALUMINUM ON THE SURFACE OF THE SUBSTRATE UNDER VACUUM AND AT A SHEET TEMPERATURE OF 250 TO 500 DEGREES F., AND THEREAFTER COOLING THE COATED SUBSTRATE IN VACUO TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW 200 DEGREES F. BEFORE A DETECTABLE INTERALLOY FILM HAS BEEN FORMED.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PREPARING AN ALUMINUM-COATED STEEL SUBSTRATE, WHICH COMPRISES DEGREASING THE SURFACE LAYER OF THE METAL SUBSTRATE WITH A CLEANING LIQUID, TREATING THE DEGREASED SURFACE FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS WITH AN ACID SOLUTION HAVING THE APPROXIMATE STRENGTH OF A 5 WEIGHT PERCENT HYDROCHLORIC ACID SOLUTION WHEREBY HYDROGEN IS STORED IN SAID METAL SURFACE IN AN AMOUNT OF FROM 1 TO 3 PARTS PER MILLION, THEREAFTER TREATING THE SURFACE LAYER OF THE STEEL SUBSTRATE WITH AN ALKALINE SOLUTION HAVING THE APPROXIMATE STRENGTH OF A 1 WEIGHT PERCENT SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS, RINSING THE METAL SURFACE CONTAINING THE HYDROGEN WITH WATER, DRYING THE METAL SURFACE, PLACING THE SUBSTRATE IN VACUO AND THEREIN HEATING TO A TEMPERATURE OF 500 TO 650 DEGREES F. WHEREBY TO CAUSE THE STORED HYDROGEN TO COME FORTH FROM THE SUBSTRATE UNTIL EVOLUTION OF HYDROGEN THEREFROM ESSENTIALLY CEASES, COOLING THE SUBSTRATE TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW 500 DEGREES F. WHILE PREVENTING THE ACCESS OF OXIDIZING GASES THERETO, AND THEREAFTER EFFECTING DEPOSITION OF ALUMINUM ON THE SURFACE OF THE SUBSTRATE UNDER VACUUM AND AT A SHEET TEMPERATURE OF 250 TO 500 DEGREES F., AND THEREAFTER COOLING THE COATED SUBSTRATE IN VACUO TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW 200 DEGREES F. BEFORE A DETECTABLE INTERALLOY FILM HAS BEEN FORMED.