A sintering furnace with a first zone, in particular a burn-off zone, and a second zone, in particular a sintering zone, and also a transitional zone arranged between the first zone and the second zone. The sintering furnace has at least one transporting mechanism for transporting bodies to be sintered on a transporting area. With this transporting mechanism, the bodies to be sintered can be transported from the first zone and through the transitional zone to the second zone. The sintering furnace also has at least one gas removal device with at least one gas removal device opening. Here, the gas removal device opening is at least partially arranged in the region of the transitional zone. Furthermore, a method by means of which gases can be removed from a sintering furnace is claimed.

A lens alignment system and method is disclosed. The disclosed system/method integrates one or more lens retaining members/tubes (LRM/LRT) and focal length spacers (FLS) each comprising a metallic material product (MMP) specifically manufactured to have a thermal expansion coefficient (TEC) in a predetermined range via selection of the individual MMP materials and an associated MMP manufacturing process providing for controlled TEC. This controlled LRM/LRT TEC enables a plurality of optical lenses (POL) fixed along a common optical axis (COA) by the LRM/LRT to maintain precise interspatial alignment characteristics that ensure consistent and/or controlled series focal length (SFL) within the POL to generate a thermally neutral optical system (TNOS). Integration of the POL using this LRM/LRT/FLS lens alignment system reduces the overall TNOS implementation cost, reduces the overall TNOS mass, reduces TNOS parts component count, and increases the reliability of the overall optical system.

A method of performing a localized post weld heat treatment on a weld seam in a thin wall metallic body may include attaching thermocouples to the outside surface of the weld seam and covering the weld seam with a thermal insulating blanket. Cooling bands are attached to the outside of the body on both sides of the weld seam. An inert atmosphere enclosure with inlet and exhaust ports is fitted over the weld seam, thermal insulating blanket, and cooling bands. A power supply and control system for an induction coil or coils situated in close proximity to the weld seam are actuated and the weld seam is subjected to a heat treatment without thermally affecting regions of the metallic body adjacent to the weld seam and external to the cooling bands.

A heat treatment method for a titanium-aluminum (TiAl) intermetallic includes the following steps: providing a TiAl intermetallic casting material; performing a first-stage heat treatment on the TiAl intermetallic casting material, where the TiAl intermetallic casting material is heated until a metallographic structure thereof is transformed into the a+γ phase, and is then cooled to room temperature to form a transitional casting material; and performing a second-stage heat treatment on the transitional casting material, where the transitional casting material is heated until a metallographic structure thereof is transformed into the α single phase, and is then cooled to room temperature to form a TiAl intermetallic.

A titanium-based intermetallic alloy includes, in atomic percent, 16% to 26% Al, 18% to 28% Nb, 0% to 3% of a metal M selected from Mo, W, Hf, and V, 0.1% to 2% of Si, 0% to 2% of Ta, 1% to 4% of Zr, with the condition Fe+Ni≦400 ppm, the balance being Ti, the alloy also presenting an Al/Nb ratio in atomic percent lying in the range 1.05 to 1.15.

A non-limiting embodiment of a titanium alloy comprises, in weight percentages based on total alloy weight: 2.0 to 5.0 aluminum; 3.0 to 8.0 tin; 1.0 to 5.0 zirconium; 0 to a total of 16.0 of one or more elements selected from the group consisting of oxygen, vanadium, molybdenum, niobium, chromium, iron, copper, nitrogen, and carbon; titanium; and impurities. A non-limiting embodiment of the titanium alloy comprises an intentional addition of tin and zirconium in conjunction with certain other alloying additions such as aluminum, oxygen, vanadium, molybdenum, niobium, and iron, to stabilize the α phase and increase the volume fraction of the α phase without the risk of forming embrittling phases, which was observed to increase room temperature tensile strength while maintaining ductility.

A sandwich structure forming method including the steps of (1) providing a sandwich structure comprising a core positioned between a first liner sheet and a second liner sheet; (2) positioning the sandwich structure into a cavity of a die assembly; and (3) pressurizing the core to expand the sandwich structure into engagement with the die assembly.

A task of the present invention is to provide a Ti—Mo alloy material which can be improved in the yield stress at room temperature by the precipitation of an aged omega phase in the Ti—Mo alloy while maintaining large ductility at room temperature, and a method for producing the same. Provided is a Ti—Mo alloy collectively having an Mo content of 10 to 20 mass %, wherein the Ti—Mo alloy has a winding belt-like or swirly segregation portion having a width of 10 to 20 μm in the plane of a backscattered electron image (BEI) or an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) image of the Ti—Mo alloy, as examined under a scanning electron microscope, in which Mo content is larger than the collective Mo content of the Ti—Mo alloy. When generally observing the entire plane examined, a segregation structure in a swirly form can be observed. Further, provided is the Ti—Mo alloy which has been subjected to aging treatment so that an aged omega phase is precipitated along the segregation portion. When generally observing the entire plane examined, an aged omega phase structure in a swirly form can be observed.

Systems and methods of a low cost, high strength titanium alloy are disclosed. According to illustrative implementations, the weight percent of the alloy composition may be: Fe content 3%˜7%, Al content 3%˜5%, C content 0.01%˜0.02%, with the balance being Ti and unavoidable impurities. Industrial pure iron, carbon steel, and industrial pure aluminum etc. may be used as the raw materials. In one exemplary method, the raw materials are mixed before being pressed to a block. The block may be double-melted to an alloy cast ingot, forged by a conventional titanium alloy forging process, and subsequently undergo a solid solution treatment of (820° C.˜950° C.)/1 h+water quenching, and an ageing treatment of (450° C.˜550° C.)/4 h+air cooling, wherein the mechanical properties of the alloy are that σb=1000˜1250 MPa, δ=5%-12%.

A method for producing a TiAl alloy member includes a molding step (S10) of laminating a solidified body obtained by melting and solidifying or sintering powder of a TiAl alloy by irradiation of the powder with a beam, to mold a laminated body; and a heat treatment step (S12) of heating the laminated body at a setting temperature that is equal to or higher than a temperature at which a phase transformation to an α phase is initiated, to produce a TiAl alloy member. By the method for producing a TiAl alloy member, the TiAl alloy member can be easily molded with a decrease in high temperature properties suppressed.