| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080254310 | Article comprising a fine-Grained metallic material and a polymeric material - Lightweight articles comprising a polymeric material at least partially coated with a fine-grained metallic material are disclosed. The fine-grained metallic material has an average grain size of 2 nm to 5,000 nm, a thickness between 25 micron and 5 cm, and a hardness between 200 VHN and 3,000 VHN. The lightweight articles are strong and ductile and exhibit high coefficients of restitution and a high stiffness and are particularly suitable for a variety of applications including aerospace and automotive parts, sporting goods, and the like. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20090159451 | Variable property electrodepositing of metallic structures - Variable property deposit, at least partially of fine-grained metallic material, optionally containing solid particulates dispersed therein, is disclosed. The electrodeposition conditions in a single plating cell are suitably adjusted to once or repeatedly vary at least one property in the deposit direction. In one embodiment denoted multidimension grading, property variation along the length and/or width of the deposit is also provided. Variable property metallic material deposits containing at least in part a fine-grained microstructure and variable property in the deposit direction and optionally multidimensionally, provide superior overall mechanical properties compared to monolithic fine-grained (average grain size: 2 nm-5 micron), entirely coarse-grained (average grain size: >20 micron) or entirely amorphous metallic material deposits. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090298624 | Strong, Lightweight Article, Containing A Fine-Grained Metallic Layer - Articles for automotive, manufacturing and industrial applications including shafts or tubes used, for example, as golf club shafts, ski and hiking poles, fishing rods or bicycle frames, skate blades and snowboards are at least partially electroplated with fine-grained layers of selected metallic materials. Parts with complex geometry can be coated as well. Alternatively, articles such as conical or cylindrical golf club shafts, hiking pole shafts or fishing pole sections, plates or foils and the like can also be electroformed of fine-grained metallic materials on a suitable mandrel or temporary substrate to produce strong, ductile, lightweight components exhibiting a high coefficient of restitution and a high stiffness for use in numerous applications including sporting goods. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20100028714 | Fine-Grained Metallic Coatings Having the Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Matched to the One of the Substrate - Fine-grained (average grain size 1 nm to 1,000 nm) metallic coatings optionally containing solid particulates dispersed therein are disclosed. The fine-grained metallic materials are significantly harder and stronger than conventional coatings of the same chemical composition due to Hall-Petch strengthening and have low linear coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs). The invention provides means for matching the CTE of the fine-grained metallic coating to the one of the substrate by adjusting the composition of the alloy and/or by varying the chemistry and volume fraction of particulates embedded in the coating. The fine-grained metallic coatings are particularly suited for strong and lightweight articles, precision molds, sporting goods, automotive parts and components exposed to thermal cycling. The low CTEs and the ability to match the CTEs of the fine-grained metallic coatings with the CTEs of the substrate minimize dimensional changes during thermal cycling and prevent premature failure. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100307642 | Method for Preparing Polycrystalline Structures Having Improved Mechanical and Physical Properties - Polycrystalline materials are prepared by electrodeposition of a precursor material that is subsequently heat-treated to induce at least a threefold increase in the grain size of the material to yield a relatively high fraction of ‘special’ low Σ grain boundaries and a randomized crystallographic texture. The precursor metallic material has sufficient purity and a fine-grained microstructure (e.g., an average grain size of 4 nm to 5 μm). The resulting metallic material is suited to the fabrication of articles requiring high mechanical or physical isotropy and/or resistance to grain boundary-mediated deformation or degradation mechanisms. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20110003171 | STRONG, LIGHTWEIGHT ARTICLE CONTAINING A FINE-GRAINED METALLIC LAYER - Articles for automotive, manufacturing and industrial applications including shafts or tubes used, for example, as golf club shafts, ski and hiking poles, fishing rods or bicycle frames, skate blades and snowboards are at least partially electroplated with fine-grained layers of selected metallic materials. Parts with complex geometry can be coated as well. Alternatively, articles such as conical or cylindrical golf club shafts, hiking pole shafts or fishing pole sections, plates or foils and the like can also be electroformed of fine-grained metallic materials on a suitable mandrel or temporary substrate to produce strong, ductile, lightweight components exhibiting a high coefficient of restitution and a high stiffness for use in numerous applications including sporting goods. | 01-06-2011 |
| 20110014488 | Fine-Grained Metallic Coatings Having the Coeficient of Thermal Expansion Matched to the One of the Substrate - Fine-gained (average grain size 1 mm to 1,000 nm) metallic coatings optionally containing solid particulates dispersed therein are disclosed. The fine-grained metallic materials are significantly harder and stronger than conventional coatings of the same chemical composition due to Hall-Fetch strengthening and have low linear coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs). The invention provides means for matching the CTE of the fine-grained metallic coating to the one of the substrate by adjusting the composition of the alloy and/or by varying the chemistry and volume fraction of particulates embedded in the coating. The fine-grained metallic coatings are particularly suited for strong and lightweight articles, precision molds, sporting goods, automotive parts and components exposed to thermal cycling. The low CTEs and the ability to match the CTEs of the fine-grained metallic coatings with the CTEs of the substrate minimize dimensional changes during thermal cycling and prevent premature failure. | 01-20-2011 |
| 20110143159 | Fine-Grained Metallic Coatings Having The Coeficient Of Thermal Expansion Matched To One Of The Substrate - Fine-grained (average grain size 1 nm to 1,000 nm) metallic coatings optionally containing solid particulates dispersed therein are disclosed. The fine-grained metallic materials are significantly harder and stronger than conventional coatings of the same chemical composition due to Hall-Petch strengthening and have low linear coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs). The invention provides means for matching the CTE of the fine-grained metallic coating to the one of the substrate by adjusting the composition of the alloy and/or by varying the chemistry and volume fraction of particulates embedded in the coating. The fine-grained metallic coatings are particularly suited for strong and lightweight articles, precision molds, sporting goods, automotive parts and components exposed to thermal cycling. The low CTEs and the ability to match the CTEs of the fine-grained metallic coatings with the CTEs of the substrate minimize dimensional changes during thermal cycling and prevent premature failure. | 06-16-2011 |