Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
407 words
A process for preparing a zirconium-base alloy comprising the steps of: a. cooling a melt of alloy consisting essentially of a composition selected from the group consisting of (i) zirconium, titanium and iron which, when plotted on a ternary composition diagram in atom percent Zr, atom percent Ti and atom percent Fe, is represented by a polygon having at its corners the points defined by (1) 77 Zr - 1 Ti - 22 Fe (2) 72 Zr - 1 Ti - 27 Fe (3) 55 Zr - 25 Ti - 20 Fe (4) 60 Zr - 25 Ti - 15 Fe (5) 74 Zr - 11 Ti - 15 Fe; (ii) zirconium, titanium and cobalt which, when plotted on a ternary composition diagram in atom percent Zr, atom percent Ti and atom percent Co, is represented by a polygon having at its corners the points defined by (1) 64 Zr - 1 Ti - 35 Co (2) 56 Zr - 1 Ti - 43 Co (3) 31 Zr - 40 Ti - 29 Co (4) 31 Zr - 54 Ti - 15 Co (5) 55 Zr - 30 Ti - 15 Co (6) 63 Zr - 14 Ti - 23 Co; (iii) zirconium, titanium and nickel which, when plotted on a ternary composition diagram in atom percent Zr, atom percent Ti and atom percent Ni, is represented by a polygon having at its corners the points defined by (1) 71 Zr - 1 Ti - 28 Ni (2) 57 Zr - 1 Ti - 42 Ni (3) 5 Zr - 60 Ti - 35 Ni (4) 21 Zr - 60 Ti - 19 Ni (5) 55 Zr - 30 Ti - 15 Ni; and (iv) zirconium, titanium and copper which, when plotted on a ternary composition diagram in atom percent Zr, atom percent Ti and atom percent Cu, is represented by a polygon having at its corners the points defined by (1) 64 Zr - 1 Ti - 35 Cu (2) 31 Zr - 1 Ti - 68 Cu (3) 1 Zr - 32 Ti - 67 Cu (4) 1 Zr - 64 Ti - 35 Cu, said cooling step being conducted at a cooling rate of at least about 105° C./sec to thereby produce a substantially glassy phase of said alloy; and b. heating said substantially glassy alloy at a temperature at or above its crystallization temperature to cause said alloy to form a polycrystalline phase.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
407 words
A process for preparing a zirconium-base alloy comprising the steps of: a. cooling a melt of alloy consisting essentially of a composition selected from the group consisting of (i) zirconium, titanium and iron which, when plotted on a ternary composition diagram in atom percent Zr, atom percent Ti and atom percent Fe, is represented by a polygon having at its corners the points defined by (1) 77 Zr - 1 Ti - 22 Fe (2) 72 Zr - 1 Ti - 27 Fe (3) 55 Zr - 25 Ti - 20 Fe (4) 60 Zr - 25 Ti - 15 Fe (5) 74 Zr - 11 Ti - 15 Fe; (ii) zirconium, titanium and cobalt which, when plotted on a ternary composition diagram in atom percent Zr, atom percent Ti and atom percent Co, is represented by a polygon having at its corners the points defined by (1) 64 Zr - 1 Ti - 35 Co (2) 56 Zr - 1 Ti - 43 Co (3) 31 Zr - 40 Ti - 29 Co (4) 31 Zr - 54 Ti - 15 Co (5) 55 Zr - 30 Ti - 15 Co (6) 63 Zr - 14 Ti - 23 Co; (iii) zirconium, titanium and nickel which, when plotted on a ternary composition diagram in atom percent Zr, atom percent Ti and atom percent Ni, is represented by a polygon having at its corners the points defined by (1) 71 Zr - 1 Ti - 28 Ni (2) 57 Zr - 1 Ti - 42 Ni (3) 5 Zr - 60 Ti - 35 Ni (4) 21 Zr - 60 Ti - 19 Ni (5) 55 Zr - 30 Ti - 15 Ni; and (iv) zirconium, titanium and copper which, when plotted on a ternary composition diagram in atom percent Zr, atom percent Ti and atom percent Cu, is represented by a polygon having at its corners the points defined by (1) 64 Zr - 1 Ti - 35 Cu (2) 31 Zr - 1 Ti - 68 Cu (3) 1 Zr - 32 Ti - 67 Cu (4) 1 Zr - 64 Ti - 35 Cu, said cooling step being conducted at a cooling rate of at least about 105° C./sec to thereby produce a substantially glassy phase of said alloy; and b. heating said substantially glassy alloy at a temperature at or above its crystallization temperature to cause said alloy to form a polycrystalline phase.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said cooling and heating steps is conducted in an inert atmosphere.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said cooling and heating steps is conducted in a partial vacuum.