Patent ID: 6240640
Filing Date: 2001-06-05
Classification: B23K,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing honeycomb structures made of titanium or a titanium alloy and consisting of a planar assembly of a plurality of equihexagonal hollow columnar cells divided by cell walls of titanium or the titanium alloy as a base material, said method comprising the steps of:forming foil sheets of titanium or the titanium alloy having a thickness no greater than 200 .mu.m;applying a parting agent comprising at least 1 wt. % of rare earth oxide powder having a particle size no greater than 30 .mu.m and a standard free energy of formation lower than that of titanium or the titanium alloy and less than 99 wt. % of a binder of an organic material which does not react with the foil sheets at a temperature of 350.degree. C. or higher and volatilizes at a temperature of less than 350.degree. C. in a thickness of from 0.3 to 30 .mu.m onto a surface of the foil sheets in a striped pattern with a predetermined pitch and width such that the surface of the foil sheets has exposed portions in a striped pattern;stacking a plurality of the foil sheets such that the exposed portions of adjacent foil sheets are shifted by a half pitch from one another;performing diffusion bonding of the stacked foil sheets at their exposed portions under sufficient heat and pressure such that titanium and/or alloy constituents diffuse and move between the exposed portions and form diffusion bonded portions and non-bonded portions; andexpanding the stacked foil sheets by pulling the top and bottom of the stacked foil sheets in opposite directions by a tensile force to cause the foil sheets to separate along edges of diffusion bonded portions and non-bonded portions thereby forming a honeycomb structure.