Method of forming a composite member

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING A COMPOSITE MEMBER WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A SUBSTRATE, APPLYING A SLURRY CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE METALLIC HALIDE IN A NON-AQUEOUS VEHICLE AS A COATING ON AT LEAST ONE SURFACE OF SAID SUBSTRATE THEREBY PROVIDING A COATED SUBSTRATE, HEATING SAID COATED SUBSTRATE TO EVAPORATE THE NON-AQUEOUS VEHICLE AND PROVIDE A METALLIC HALIDE LAYER ON SAID SUBSTRATE, POSITIONING SAID SUBSTRATE WITH SAID METALLIC HALIDE LAYER THEREON WITHIN A STREAM OF GAS, THE ESSENTIAL ACTIVE REDUCING INGREDIENT OF WHICH IS HYDROGEN, AND HEATING SAID SUBSTRATE WITH SAID METALLIC HALIDE LAYER THEREON TO A TEMPERATURE IN A TEMPERATURE RANGE HAVING A LOWER LIMIT DETERMINED BY THE RATIO OF THE HYDROGEN HALIDE PARTIAL PRESSURE TO THE HYDROGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE WITH THE HYDROGEN HALIDE AND HYDROGEN GASES BEING IN EQUILIBRIUM WITH BOTH THE METAL OF SAID METALLIC HALIDE ON SAID SUBSTRATE AND WITH SAID METALLIC HALIDE ON SAID SUBSTRATE, SAID RATIO HAVING A VALUE OF FROM 0.001 TO 0.01, AND HAVING AS AN UPPER LIMIT THE SET OF TEMPERATURES AT WHICH THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF SAID METALLIC HYDRIDE MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF HALOGEN ATOMS PER METAL ATOM HAS A VALUE BETWEEN 0.001 AND 0.01 WHEREBY SAID LAYER IS REDUCED TO A COHERENT METALLIC LAYER ON SAID SUBSTRATE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FORMING A COMPOSITE MEMBER WHICH COMPRISES PROVIDING A SUBSTRATE, APPLYING A SLURRY CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE METALLIC HALIDE IN A NON-AQUEOUS VEHICLE AS A COATING ON AT LEAST ONE SURFACE OF SAID SUBSTRATE THEREBY PROVIDING A COATED SUBSTRATE, HEATING SAID COATED SUBSTRATE TO EVAPORATE THE NON-AQUEOUS VEHICLE AND PROVIDE A METALLIC HALIDE LAYER ON SAID SUBSTRATE, POSITIONING SAID SUBSTRATE WITH SAID METALLIC HALIDE LAYER THEREON WITHIN A STREAM OF GAS, THE ESSENTIAL ACTIVE REDUCING INGREDIENT OF WHICH IS HYDROGEN, AND HEATING SAID SUBSTRATE WITH SAID METALLIC HALIDE LAYER THEREON TO A TEMPERATURE IN A TEMPERATURE RANGE HAVING A LOWER LIMIT DETERMINED BY THE RATIO OF THE HYDROGEN HALIDE PARTIAL PRESSURE TO THE HYDROGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE WITH THE HYDROGEN HALIDE AND HYDROGEN GASES BEING IN EQUILIBRIUM WITH BOTH THE METAL OF SAID METALLIC HALIDE ON SAID SUBSTRATE AND WITH SAID METALLIC HALIDE ON SAID SUBSTRATE, SAID RATIO HAVING A VALUE OF FROM 0.001 TO 0.01, AND HAVING AS AN UPPER LIMIT THE SET OF TEMPERATURES AT WHICH THE VAPOR PRESSURE OF SAID METALLIC HYDRIDE MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF HALOGEN ATOMS PER METAL ATOM HAS A VALUE BETWEEN 0.001 AND 0.01 WHEREBY SAID LAYER IS REDUCED TO A COHERENT METALLIC LAYER ON SAID SUBSTRATE.