|
Crucible Patents
"The importance of Crucible Steel, therefore, is portentous. The last war (World War I), it has been said, was won by American machine tools." - FORTUNE, November 1939
That is exactly what Crucible's patent portfolio has been and continues to be. It has shaped the future of the company for over 100 years and, as has been testified to in the above quoted article, has not only shaped the future of the industries which use its products, but has helped shape the future of our nation.
Crucible has acquired over 350 patents since 1905 when we acquired the first patent that taught the beneficial use of vanadium in tool steels.
Over the years, Crucible's product patents have included: Tool Steels, Bearing Steels, Stainless Steels, Valve Steels, Nickel Base Alloys, Cobalt Base Alloys, Tungsten Base Alloys, Titanium Base Alloys, Mold Steels, Composites, and Silicon Aluminum, Springs, Tubing, Agricultural Steels, and Magnets.
And,
To make these materials, Crucible's engineers have invented or improved upon existing processes.
Crucible's process patents cover both traditional steelmaking processes (including: annealing, forging, grinding, pickling, and welding), Powder Metallurgy processes, and Titanium Gas Atomization.
Crucible's more current patents include, but are not limited to, the following: Patent Nos. 4,119,765; 4,765,836; 5,238,482; 5,344,477; 5,447.800; 5,679,908: 5,830,278; 5,900,560; 5,936,169; and 5,989,490.
Powder Metallurgy
Powder metallurgical processing confers unique features upon a material, including an absence of particle outlining, an extremely fine grain structure, the absence of macrosegregation, and improved forgeability and machinability. It also opens up a whole new area of metallurgy by providing the ability to make alloys which could not be made in any other way.
Crucible has been a pioneer in the field of powder metallurgy for more than forty years, and has been awarded patents covering both the process and products since the very early 1960s. The shear number of patents granted is remarkable and covers Powder Metallurgy Processing from the: Atomization of Powders, including specialty materials for component parts of the atomizer; to the Quenching of Powders to prevent their reaction with oxygen; to the Inert Handling of Powder; to Pre-Consolidation Processes and Consolidation Processes - including Hot Isostatic Pressing and numerous other methods; to the Processes for the Easy Removal of Cans; through Shape Making and Cladding Processes.
Crucible was the pioneer in the powder metallurgical processing of both Tool Steels and superalloys. Our work paved the way for superalloys to be accepted in the aerospace industry and involved baseline work on the processing, alloy modification and the understanding of the physical metallurgy of P/M alloys.
We have lead the way in the art of making shapes directly from powder. Our innovations produced a product which significantly reduced the amount of machining which was needed, and therefore reduced the amount of waste of these very difficult to machine and expensive alloys. These processes also allowed alloys like Rene 95 to be made as shapes which are still produced and used in a variety of engines for aerospace use.
Crucible also has been granted a number of patents of multi-alloy composites - from the dual alloy turbine wheel for aerospace applications to clad materials for oil field applications. These processes allow for cladding materials on the inside or the outside of a part with the beneficial reduction in cost.
Tool Steels
Crucible has been a leader in tool steel production and alloy development since its incorporation in 1900. As early as 1905 we were awarded a patent for a high speed steel which incorporated vanadium to improve performance. In the following years, Crucible developed alloys and obtained patents covering:
High Silicon/Carbon Tool Steels
Nitrogen Containing Tool Steels
High Speed Tool Steels
Low Alloy Tool Steels
Bearing Steels
High Vanadium Wear Resistant Tool Steels
Cold Work Tool Steels
Wear/Corrosion Resistant Tool Steels
Ultra-Hard High Speed Steels
Die Steels
Mold Steels
Hot Work Tool Steels
High Sulfur Tool Steels
In the late 1960's, we were the first corporation to recognize and patent the powder metallurgy processing of tool steels. This process provides a unique combination of manufacturability, property and performance benefits to the resultant tool material. The P/M process resulted in a homogeneity and refinement of the microstructure that greatly enhanced the strength, toughness, and machinability compared to the conventional ingot product. Our pioneering work on high alloy-high carbide volume tool steels led to the development of a family of highly wear resistant and wear/corrosion resistant materials such as CPM 10V, CPM 9V, CPM S30V, CPM S90V, VIM CRU 60, VIM CRU 80, and MPL-1; high toughness materials such as CPM 1V and CPM 3V; and high performance high speed steels such as CPM Rex 76, CPM Rex 20, CPM Rex 45 and CPM Rex 121.
Stainless Steels
Significant Product achievements include:
Type 416, Type 416 Plus X, Type 303 Plus X, Type 304 Plus, Type 316 Plus, Type 303 Super-X, Type 304 Super-X, Type 316 Super-X
These were all breakthrough improvements in the machinability of stainless steels
Type 422, Rezistal 422
Patented in 1964 this alloy is still being used in steam and gas turbine applications
Sea-Cure
A superferritic stainless steel used for brackish-water cooled power plant condensers
SS100
A high nitrogen, high strength, highly corrosion resistant stainless steel made by powder metallurgy
E4
A major advance in cargo box corner posts
Type 303CC, Type 303ELC Mod
Improved resistance to corrosion in soft drink beverage syrup
Crucible 26-1S
One of the first superferritic stainless steels to be made in the AOD (Argon Oxygen Decarburization Process)
17Cr-4Ni Super-X, CSM 21
A very significant product for stainless steel plastic die molds
Hy-Resist
A superferritic stainless steel resistant to hydrogen embrittlement
Significant Process achievements include:
Process for making dull finished stainless
This nonreflective stainless steel finish met the safety requirements for nonglare trim in the auto industry
Method for enhancing corrosion resistance by electrolytic passivation of bright annealed stainless steels
Allowed the use of bright annealed stainless steels for automotive trim
Titanium Base Alloys
Crucible has a remarkable history in the field of titanium. Ti-6Al-4V, arguably the most important titanium alloy, was patented by Crucible in 1956. It was then and has remained through today one of the most commonly used of all the titanium alloys in aircraft and prostheses.
Another of Crucible's proprietary titanium alloys (Beta-120/Ti-13V-11CR-3Al) was chosen by the Lockheed Skunk Works for the Monocoque Construction (a type of construction of a fuselage in which the outer skin carries all or a major part of the stresses) for the SR-71 Blackbird. This alloy allows the plane to survive its heating up to 600 to 900° F during sustained speeds in excess of Mach 3. The SR-71s are the world’s fastest and highest-flying production aircraft.
Always at the forefront of technology, Crucible was granted a patent on a Gamma Titanium Aluminum Alloy in 1965 - a full forty years before its advantages were fully realized by the industry.
Titanium Gas Atomization
Crucible invented the process for the gas atomization of titanium and has been granted numerous patents on the process since 1985. Crucible's process can be used on essentially any titanium alloy and creates a high quality spherical powder that can easily be used in the laser deposition process, in metal injection molding, or in the production of near net shape parts.
Our process also enable the production of Gamma Titanium Aluminides which are difficult or impossible to produce by conventional ingot metallurgy and the production of discontinuously reinforced composites with reinforcement distribution not possible by any other methods.
The powder produced by the Gas Atomization process is also used in the medical field as a coating for prosthetics.
Valve Steels
Crucible has been granted patents for valve steels since the mid-1930's. In 1935 Crucible developed the automotive valve steel XCR which dominated the automotive market of the 1930's. Today, Crucible is the leading U.S. supplier of valve steel bars and the only U.S. producer of steels for exhaust valves.
Over the years the grades which have been developed by Crucible include:
Age Hardenable Ferritic Valve Steels
Age Hardenable High Silicon Valve Steels
Age Hardenable High Carbon Austenitic Valve Steels
High Chromium, High Heat Resistant Valve Steels
High Manganese Valve Steels
Valve Steels for Severe Duty Exhaust Valves
Key Developments in Our History
- 2003 - Developed a Thermo-Calc computational model for the calculation of volume fraction of primary carbides in high speed steels.
- 2003 - Improved the machinability of tool steels for high wear resistant applications through the implementation of Plus Technology™.
- 2002 - Patented prealloyed binary Si-10%Al powder for the glass coating industry.
- 2002 - Developed a HIP non-magnetic, directed drilling device with multiple internal passages for oil field service industries.
- 2002 -
Developed a prealloyed titanium powder for the medical implant industry.
- 2002 - Developed Si-Al alloy powders for sputtering target applications.
- 2002 - Provided high speed steel technical service assistance for United States Government agencies responsible for the destruction of retired munitions.
- 2002 - Developed titanium aluminide powder and hot rolling process to manufacture metallic foams.
- 2001 - Developed stainless tool steel CPM® S30V® for applications requiring improved corrosion and wear resistance.
- 2001 - Manufactured the world's largest prealloyed gamma titanium aluminide preform, from HIP powder metallurgy.
- 2001 - Developed shape memory alloys (Ni-Ti) for the medical device industry.
- 2001 -
Developed Cr-Mo-Si-Y and Ni-Al-Pt-Hf powders for oxidation resistant coatings of aircraft engine turbine buckets.
- 2000 - Developed VIM CRU® 60 and VIM CRU® 80 for hybrid bearing applications.
- 2000 - Developed a Ni-Mg dual phase prealloyed powder for use in advanced fuel cell applications.
- 2000 - Developed advanced iron based powder metallurgy calibration standards for X-ray and optical emission equipment.
- 2000 - Developed Co-Cr-B and Ti-Cr powders for advanced sputtering target applications.
- 2000 -
Developed gas atomized, prealloyed, induction skull melted Ti-50Al and Ti-Si powders for advanced sputtering target applications.
- 2000 - Developed a Ti-Cu-Ni-Zr braze alloy powder for assembly of titanium aerospace cooling systems.
- 2000 - Developed P/M Ti-6Al-4V HIP test blocks for ultrasonic testing calibration standards.
- 1999 - Installed a new high-temperature VIM furnace capable of 2000°C (3632°F) tap temperatures.
- 1999 - Developed high boron powders for laser rapid prototyping.
- 1999 - Developed P/M Cr-V powder for disc drive sputtering target components.
- 1999 - Developed tool steel CPM® 1V® for hot work applications having improved wear and thermal fatigue characteristics in comparison to H13.
- 1999 - Developed Ru-Al intermetallic powder for disc drive sputtering target components.
- 1999 - Developed wrought TRIP (transformation induced plasticity) steel materials for earthquake monitoring strain gauges.
- 1999 - Developed prealloyed, high melting point chromium- vanadium and titanium aluminide materials for sputtering target applications.
- 1999 - Developed P/M materials for iron and titanium based X-ray and optical emission reference material and set up standards.
- 1998 - Developed HIP P/M titanium aluminide sheet material for advanced aerospace applications, including the next Space Shuttle prototype.
- 1998 - Produced pilot scale production of orthorhombic titanium aluminide powder for wire/fiber metal matrix composites.
- 1998 - Developed, with Crucible Compaction Metals, a computational fluid dynamics model for the gas atomization process.
- 1998 - Developed CPM® Rex® 121, a new ultra hard (HRC 70-27) and abrasion resistant high speed steel.
- 1997 - Developed gas atomization and powder process for Cu-Cr-Nb, a next generation rocket nozzle alloy for NASA disposable rocket motors/boosters.
- 1997 - Developed VIM CRU® 20 for hybrid bearing applications.
- 1997 - Developed CPM® SS100®, a new high strength corrosion resistant steel using nitrogen as an alloying element and rapid solidification processing.
- 1997 - Developed CPM® 3V®, a high toughness steel with good wear resistance.
- 1996 - Developed a series of high sulfur powder metallurgy tool steels with 500 ksi minimum bend fracture strength.
- 1995 - Developed MPL-1®, CPM® 440VM®, and CPM® 420 (9V®, 12V®, 15V®), a family of wear and corrosion resistant steels.
- 1994 - Developed CPM® Nu-Die EZ®, a high sulfur version of H13 tool steel with excellent machinability.
- 1990 - Developed CPM® 15V®, a highly wear resistant tooling material.
- 1989 - Developed P/M processing technology for titanium aluminide alloys.
- 1988 - Developed the Super X® free machining austenitic and martensitic stainless steels.
- 1984 - Developed the world's first titanium gas atomizer.
- 1978 - Developed one of the first super-ferritic stainless steels (Sea-Cure®) for use in seawater.
- 1977 - Designed and constructed the 5,000 pound gas atomizer at the Crucible Compaction Metals Division for the commercial production of superalloy powder.
- 1976 - Shipped the first superalloy powder parts to General Electric for the T700 engine.
- 1971 - Developed the Ceramic Mold Process for the production of near-net shapes.
- 1971 - Produced the world's first commercial powder metal tool steel heats at the Crucible Specialty Metals Division.
- 1971 - Realized the Crucible Particle Metallurgy Process become a commercial reality at the Crucible Specialty Metals Division.
- 1970 - Developed the weld bead forging process to allow bead finishing by cold working on smaller diameter pipe and tube.
- 1967 - Developed Gaman H® valve steel.
- 1955 - Developed the cobalt-based superalloy WF-11®.
- 1948 - Developed HY-TUF®, a steel used in aircraft landing gears and other applications where strength and toughness are required.
- 1947 - Worked on the pioneering work of developing titanium alloys such as Ti-6A1-4V.
- 1935 - Developed the automotive valve steel XCR®, which was the dominant steel in the 1930's.
- 1929 - Crucible Research founded.
- 1906 - Installed the first American Heroult Electric Furnace at the Crucible Specialty Metals Division.
- 1905 - Received patent for the invention of vanadium bearing high speed tool steel by Dr. J. A. Mathews.
|
