Aluminum/lithium/x materials

Abstract

Exposure to radiation is ordinarily countered by lead shields or lithium compounds with large nuclei and small electron clouds. Unfortunately lead is heavy and the effective lithium compounds are highly reactive and structurally unsuitable. This invention takes thin sheets of aluminum-lithium alloy and rearranges the atoms into lithium-rich and aluminum-rich layers in alternate strata and laminates them into a sandwich structure with multiple lithium-rich layers and aluminum-rich layers. Each individual sheet is heat treated as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,197 and project NaAMTCO-330 ONR N00014-94-2-001 University of New Orleans/U.S. Navy by Alfred Daech. The individual sheets are heated under an argon or nitrogen blanket to cause the lithium in the alloy to concentrate at the surfaces. These sheets are then stacked to the desired final thickness. Lamination may be with or without adhesive. The final laminate is water washed to remove raw reactive lithium from the final handling exterior surfaces.

1 . An aluminum/lithium heat treated alloy formulation for protecting steel, aluminum, wood and the like from: radiation damage by concentrating the lithium in the alloy. 
   
   
       2 . An aluminum/lithium alloy which discourages the set down of bacteria on surfaces. 
   
   
       3 . An aluminum/lithium alloy in  claim 2  with the surface of the alloy at pH10 or above and consequently repulsive to bacteria and some higher trophic organisms. 
   
   
       4 . An aluminum/lithium heat treated alloy with the lithium preferentially concentrated at the surface in order to provide increased absorbance to radiation and thus save weight. 
   
   
       5 . The material in  claim 1  which is laminated in sheets so that multiples of oriented heat treated layers of 0.1 mils. to 10.0 mils. provide multiple radiation shields. 
   
   
       6 . The material in  claim 1  where the lithium is 0.1 to 6.0 percent by weight of the aluminum/lithium alloy. 
   
   
       7 . The material in  claim 1  where the alloy of aluminum/lithium has been heated to 300° C. to 350° C. under an inert gas atmosphere for 10 to 15 minutes thereby concentrating the lithium at the surface of the alloy. 
   
   
       8 . The material in  claim 3  where the hygienic protection facilitates sanitary decontamination of surfaces.