Process of making alloy fibers

Abstract

The invention relates to fine metallic alloy fibers and the process of making the fine metallic alloy fiber comprising the steps of forming a first and a second metallic alloy component into a composite having a physical configuration suitable for a drawing process. The composite is drawn to provide a fine composite fiber formed from the first and second metallic alloy components. A portion of one of the first and second alloy components is removed to provide a proper volumetric relationship between the first and second metallic alloy components for producing a desired metallic alloy. The fine composite fiber is heated for converting the remainder of the first and second metallic alloy components into the desired metallic alloy to provide the fine metallic alloy fiber.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . The process of making a fine metallic alloy fiber, comprising the steps of: 
 forming a first and a second metallic alloy component into a composite having a physical configuration suitable for a drawing process;    drawing the composite to reduce the cross-section thereof to provide a fine composite fiber formed from the first and second metallic alloy components;    removing a portion of one of the first and second alloy components from the fine composite fiber to provide a proper volumetric relationship between the first and second metallic alloy components within the fine composite fiber for producing the desired metallic alloy; and    heating the fine composite fiber for converting the first and second metallic alloy components within the fine composite fiber into the desired metallic alloy to provide a fine metallic alloy fiber.    
     
     
         2 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first and second metallic alloy components into the composite comprises forming the first and second metallic alloy components into a coaxial composite.  
     
     
         3 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first and second metallic alloy components into the composite comprises inserting the first metallic alloy component within a longitudinal aperture defined in the second metallic alloy component to form a coaxial composite.  
     
     
         4 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first and second metallic alloy components into the composite comprises inserting the first metallic alloy component within a longitudinal aperture defined in the second metallic alloy component to form a coaxial composite; and 
 inserting the coaxially composite formed form the first and second metallic alloy components within a longitudinal aperture defined in a third metallic alloy component to form a triaxial composite.    
     
     
         5 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first and second metallic alloy components into the composite comprises inserting the first metallic alloy component within a longitudinal aperture defined in the second metallic alloy component to form a coaxial composite; 
 inserting the coaxially composite formed form the first and second metallic alloy components within a longitudinal aperture defined in a third metallic alloy component to form a triaxial composite with the third alloy metallic component being identical to the first metallic alloy component.    
     
     
         6 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first and second metallic alloy components into the composite includes forming the first and second metallic alloy components into a triaxial composite with the first metallic alloy component being a central component and an outer component and with the second metallic alloy component being an intermediate component of the triaxial composite.  
     
     
         7 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first and second metallic alloy components into the composite includes forming the composite form a first metallic alloy component and a second preformed metallic alloy component.  
     
     
         8 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of drawing the composite includes successively drawing and annealing the composite to reduce the cross-section thereof to provide the fine composite fiber.  
     
     
         9 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of removing a portion of one of the first and second alloy components from the fine composite fiber includes chemically removing the portion of one of the first and second alloy components to adjust the volumetric relationship between the first and second metallic alloy components within the fine composite fiber to be in accordance with the volumetric relationship required by the desired metallic alloy.  
     
     
         10 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the step of heating the fine composite fiber includes heating the fine composite fiber in an specialized atmosphere for converting the first and second metallic alloy components into the desired metallic alloy to provide a fine metallic alloy fiber.  
     
     
         11 . The process of making fine metallic alloy fibers, comprising the steps of: 
 forming a first and a second metallic alloy component into a composite having a physical configuration suitable for a drawing process;    drawing the composite to reduce the cross-section thereof to provide a fine composite wire formed from the first and second metallic alloy components;    cladding the fine composite wires with a first cladding material to provide a first cladding;    assembling an array of the first claddings;    cladding the array of the first claddings with a second cladding material to provide a second cladding;    drawing the second cladding to reduce the cross-section thereof to provide an array of fine first claddings with each of the fine first claddings containing a fine composite fiber formed from the first and second metallic alloy components;    removing the second cladding material to provide a first remainder comprising the array of fine first claddings with the fine composite fibers located therein;    removing the first cladding material to provide a second remainder comprising the array of fine composite fibers formed from the first and second metallic alloy components;    removing only a portion of one of the first and second alloy components from each of the array of fine composite fibers to provide a proper volumetric relationship between the first and second metallic alloy components for each of the fine composite fibers within the array for producing a desired metallic alloy; and    heating the array of the fine composite fibers for converting the first and second metallic alloy components within of each of the fine composite fibers into the desired metallic alloy to provide an array of fine metallic alloy fibers.    
     
     
         12 . The process of making fine alloy fibers, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a first metallic alloy component in the form of a wire;    providing a second metallic alloy component in the form of a tube having a longitudinal extending aperture;    selecting the physical dimensions of the first and the second metallic alloy components primarily on the physical configuration suitable for a drawing process and secondarily upon the proper volumetric relationship between the first and second metallic alloy components required for producing a desired metallic alloy;    inserting the first metallic alloy component within the longitudinal aperture defined in the second metallic alloy component to form a coaxial composite;    drawing the coaxial composite to reduce the cross-section thereof to provide a fine composite wire formed from the first and second metallic alloy components;    cladding the fine composite wires with a first cladding material to provide a first cladding;    assembling an array of the first claddings;    cladding the array of the first claddings with a second cladding material to provide a second cladding;    drawing the second cladding to reduce the cross-section thereof to provide an array of fine first claddings with each of the fine first claddings containing a fine composite fiber formed from the first and second metallic alloy components;    removing the second cladding material to provide a first remainder comprising the array of fine first claddings with the fine composite fibers located therein;    removing the first cladding material to provide a second remainder comprising the array of fine composite fibers formed from the first and second metallic alloy components; removing only a portion of one of the first and second alloy components from each of the array of fine composite fibers to provide a proper volumetric relationship between the first and second metallic alloy components for each of the fine composite fibers within the array for producing a desired metallic alloy; and    heating the array of the fine composite fibers for converting the first and second metallic alloy components within of each of the fine composite fibers into the desired metallic alloy to provide an array of fine metallic alloy fibers.    
     
     
         13 . The process of making a fine metallic alloy fiber, comprising the steps of: 
 forming a first and a second metallic alloy component into a composite having a physical configuration suitable for a drawing process;    drawing the composite to reduce the cross-section thereof to provide a fine composite fiber formed from the first and second metallic alloy components;    removing a portion of one of the first and second alloy components from the fine composite fiber to provide a proper volumetric relationship between the first and second metallic alloy components within the fine composite fiber for producing the desired metallic alloy;    applying an isostatic pressure to the first and second alloy components; and    heating the fine composite fiber for converting the first and second metallic alloy components within the fine composite fiber into the desired metallic alloy to provide a fine metallic alloy fiber.    
     
     
         14 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the step of applying an isostatic pressure to the first and second alloy components includes applying an isostatic gas pressure to the first and second alloy components simultaneously with the heating of the first and second alloy components.  
     
     
         15 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the step of applying an isostatic pressure to the first and second alloy components includes applying an isostatic gas pressure to the first and second alloy components.  
     
     
         16 . The process of making a fine alloy fiber as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the step of applying an isostatic pressure to the first and second alloy components includes applying an isostatic argon gas pressure to the first and second alloy components.