Claims
- 1. An anvil that is configured for use in friction stir welding, the anvil comprising:
a core configured to support materials being welded together by a friction stir welding process; and a chemically inert material that is included in one of:
(i) the core; and (ii) a coating applied onto at least a portion of the core.
- 2. An anvil as recited in claim 1, wherein the coating comprises one of:
(i) an element selected from group IIIA of the periodic table of elements; (ii) an element selected from group IVA of the periodic table of elements; (iii) an element selected from group IIIB of the periodic table of elements; and (iv) an element selected from group IVB of the periodic table of elements.
- 3. An anvil as recited in claim 1, wherein the coating comprises one of:
(i) a diamond; (ii) an intermetallic; and (iii) a refractory metal.
- 4. An anvil as recited in claim 1, wherein the anvil forms a diffusion barrier between the materials being welded together and a surface of the anvil when performing a friction stir welding process.
- 5. An anvil as recited in claim 1, wherein the anvil enables full penetration of welding the materials.
- 6. An anvil as recited in claim 1, wherein the anvil resists deformation during the friction stir welding process.
- 7. An anvil as recited in claim 1, wherein the anvil prevents mechanical bonding between the materials and the anvil.
- 8. An anvil as recited in claim 1, wherein the chemically inert material comprises one of:
(i) an oxide; (ii) a nitride; (iii) a carbide; and (iv) a silicate.
- 9. An anvil as recited in claim 1, wherein the core is one of:
(i) a plate; and (ii) a rotating wheel.
- 10. A method for manufacturing a friction stir welding anvil that is capable of friction stir welding high temperature materials, the method comprising the steps for:
providing an anvil core that is configured to support materials being welded together by a friction stir welding process; and using a chemically inert material in providing one of:
(i) the anvil core; and (ii) a coating on at least a portion of the core.
- 11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the step for using a chemically inert material comprises one of the steps for:
(i) using a spray-coating process; (ii) using a deposition process; (iii) using an anodizing process; (iv) using an ion beam sintering process; (v) using a slurry process; and (vi) using a chemical reaction process.
- 12. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the step for using comprises the step for coating at least a portion of the core using a powder coating process, and wherein the chemically inert material is in a power form.
- 13. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the chemically inert material comprises a metal and oxygen.
- 14. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the chemically inert material comprises a metal and nitrogen.
- 15. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the chemically inert material comprises a metal and carbon.
- 16. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the chemically inert material comprises a metal and silicon.
- 17. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the step for forming the core into one of:
(i) a flat plate; and (iii) a rotating wheel.
- 18. A method for providing an anvil for use in friction stir welding, the method comprising the steps for:
providing an anvil having a core; placing materials that are to be friction stir welded onto the anvil; friction stir welding the materials; and monitoring the temperature of the weld.
- 19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the step for providing includes the steps for:
forming a cavity in the core; and attaching a conduit to the cavity.
- 20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the step for monitoring the temperature of the weld comprises the step for circulating a fluid through the cavity to regulate the temperature of the anvil.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/297,738 filed Jun. 12, 2001, entitled ANVIL FOR FRICTION STIR WELDING HIGH TEMPERATURE MATERIALS.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60297738 |
Jun 2001 |
US |