Method for hot consolidating powder

Claim 5

The method set forth in claim 2 including the step of permitting controlled escape of container metal from between the press dies when the pressure exceeds a desired maximum to prevent damage to the press.

Claim 8

The method set forth in claim 4 including the step of permitting controlled escape of container metal from between the press dies when the pressure exceeds a desired maximum to prevent damage to the press.

Claim 9

The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of applying external pressure to the entire exterior surface of said container is further defined as applying gas pressure in a gas autoclave.

Claim 10

The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the step of applying external pressure to the entire external surface of said container is further defined as pressing the container between the dies of a press while restraining the container to cause plastic flow of the container walls. .Iadd. 8. A method for hot consolidating material of metallic and nonmetallic composition and combination thereof to form a fully densified compact comprising the steps of: encapsulating a quantity of less than fully dense material in a cavity of irregular shape in a thick-walled container having a regular shape and walls entirely surrounding the cavity and of sufficient thickness so as not to follow the contour of the cavity and of a material which is substantially fully dense and incompressible and capable of plastic flow at elevated temperatures, heating the container and material to a conventional compaction temperature at which the container is capable of plastic flow and the material is susceptible to compaction and will densify and applying conventional pressure to the entire exterior surface of the container thereby causing plastic flow of the container walls to transmit pressure to the material to cause full densification at hydrostatic pressre applied by the container. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 9. A method as set forth in claim 8 further defined as encapsulating the material in the cavity by hermetically sealing the container. .Iaddend..Iadd. 10. A method as set forth in claim 8 further defined as forming the container of a gross volume of wall material which is greater than the volume of the cavity surrounded by the container wall material. .Iaddend..Iadd. 11. A method as set forth in claim 8 further defined as forming the container of a gross volume of wall material which is greater than the volume of the cavity surrounded by the wall material and decreasing the volume of the cavity during densification of the compact as the volume of the wall material remains constant. .Iaddend..Iadd. 12. A method as set forth in claim 8 further defined as removing the container from the compact. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. A method as set forth in claim 8 including cooling the container and compact and removing the container from the compact. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 14. A method as set forth in claim 8 further defined as forming the container by mating at least two metal container sections together by welding. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the step of applying external pressure to the entire exterior surface of the container is further defined as applying gas pressure in an autoclave. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 16. A method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the step of applying external pressure to the entire exterior surface of the container is further defined as applying force to a portion of the container while restraining the remainder of the container to cause the hydrostatic pressure and plastic flow of the container for densification. .Iaddend.