Production of surface diffusion alloys

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF FORMING A SURFACE DIFFUSION ALLOY BY APPLYING AT LEAST ONE APPLICATION METAL TO THE INNER WALL OF A HOLLOW METALLIC PART IN WHICH A CEMENT COMPRISING A POWDER OF AT LEAST ONE APPLICATION METAL, AN INERT DILUENT HAVING A HIGH HEAT OF FORMATION TO PREVENT COALESCENCE OR SINTERING OF THE PARTICLES OF THE APPLICATION METAL POWDER DURING FORMATION OF SAID SURFACE DIFFUSION ALLOY, AND A HALOGEN OR HALOGENATED COMPOUND FOR GENERATING VAPORS OF SAID APPLICATION METAL TO THE INNER WALL OF THE PART TO BE TREATED, IS INTRODUCED INTO THE CAVITY OF SAID HOLLOW PART IN IMMEDIATED PROXIMITY TO SAID WALL, AND IN WHICH THE CEMENT IS THEN HEATED TO GENERATE VAPORS OF THE APPLICATION METAL TO FORM A SURFACE DIFFUSION ALLOY OF THE APPLICATION METAL AND THE METALLIC PART AT THE INNER WALL OF SAID PART, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: PROVIDING IN SAID CEMENT A SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF OLEIC ACID, LINOLEIC ACID AND RICINOLEIC ACID IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO CONFER THIXOTROPIC PPROPERTIES ON THE CEMENT SUCH THAT THE CEMENT IS TEMPORARILY LIQUEFIED WHEN SUBJECTED TO VIBRATION. SUBJECTING THE CEMENT WITHIN SAID CAVITY, PRIOR TO HEATING THE CEMENT TO VIBRATION TO TEMPORARILY LIQUEFY SAID CEMENT TO FACILITATE PENETRATION OF SAID CEMENT INTO REMOTE ZONES OF SAID CAVITY TO BRING SAID CEMENT INTO IMMEDIATE PROXIMITY TO SAID WALL, LEAVING THE CEMENT UNDISTURBED WITHIN THE CAVITY UNTIL IT RESUMES ITS INITIAL VISCOSITY, AND AFTER HEATING THE CEMENT TO FORM SAID SURFACE DIFFUSION ALLOY, REMOVING THE CEMENT FROM WITHIN THE HOLLOW PART.