The present invention relates to new compositions of matter, particularly metals and alloys, and methods of making such compositions. The new compositions of matter exhibit long-range ordering and unique electronic character.

The invention relates to metallurgy. A melt is heated to a superheating temperature above the liquidus line and is poured into a lined and heated mould. As the bulk of the melt cools, the induced crystallization of the melt is carried out in a force field generated by ultrasonic emitters. The onset of crystallization is induced in the central region of the melt with the crystallization front spreading towards the periphery of the melt. After solidification, the billets are heated until they are completely melted, heating is discontinued and the natural crystallization of the melt is carried out so that the crystallization front spreads from the wall of the crystallizer to the centre of the melt. The processes of induced and natural crystallization and melting are periodically repeated as many times as is required for the ingredients in the billet to reach the desired degree of homogeneity. The point of completion of a phase transition is recorded by an ultrasonic measuring system. The heater and the ultrasonic emitters are switched on and off by a control unit comprising a temperature sensor and a sensor of the phase state of the melt. The result is an increase in the degree of homogenization.

A method of and apparatus for treating a preshaped magnetic material wherein a a high-energy corpuscular beam is applied to the material held in a magnetic field.

A method of and apparatus for treating a preshaped magnetic material wherein a mechanical vibration and/or a high-energy corpuscular beam are applied to the material held in a magnetic field.

An intermetallic compound having a dual diamond crystal structure (e.g. LiAl, LiCd or LiZn) is formed on a substrate surface. A layer containing the constituent elements is first formed on the substrate, and is then heated in a magnetic field set at a selected angle (e.g. 0^c or 90^c) to the layer. A crystalline film of the compound is formed with a major crystallographic plane aligned with the magnetic field. The substrate may be a sheet of one of the constituent metals (e.g. Al, Cd or Zn), and the layer formed by impinging ions of the other metal (e.g. Li) onto the substrate surface.

The crystalline film produced can be used as a substrate for the growth of crystalline silicon.

Apparatus for performing the method includes means (105, 106) for positioning and heating (110) the substrate (104) within the magnetic field established by the magnet (101,102). Means (107) can also be provided for firing ions of one of the metals (e.g. Li, 108) onto the substrate (104). Similar means (113) can be provided to fire silicon (112) ions onto the crystalline film after its formation. The apparatus may be contained in a vacuum chamber.

Provided is a titanium cast product for hot rolling made of commercial pure titanium or a titanium alloy, the titanium cast product including, in a surface serving as a rolling surface, a fine structure layer that is formed of an acicular structure formed in the outermost surface by melting and re-solidification treatment and that has a thickness of more than or equal to 5 mm and less than 9 mm in depth. In the titanium cast product for hot rolling according to the present invention, the surface is flat, the number of minute voids in the interior immediately below the surface is small, and the outermost surface has a significantly fine structure. When the titanium cast product is subjected to hot rolling, the occurrence of concavities on the surface in the early stage of hot rolling and the occurrence of surface defects on the hot rolled sheet can be stably prevented at a practical level.

The present invention relates to new compositions of matter, particularly metals and alloys, and methods of making such compositions. The new compositions of matter exhibit long-range ordering and unique electronic character.

The present invention relates to new compositions of matter, particularly metals and alloys, and methods of making such compositions. The new compositions of matter exhibit long-range ordering and unique electronic character.

The present invention relates to new compositions of matter, particularly metals and alloys, and methods of making such compositions. The new compositions of matter exhibit long-range ordering and unique electronic character.

This invention is concerned with the productions of unidirectionally solidified castings and remelting-processed ingots such as ESR or VAR, which has paid special attention to the liquid flow phenomena within solid-liquid coexisting phase (mushy phase) during solidification, and made it clear for the first time that by applying high static magnetic field onto the whole mushy phase, the extremely slow interdendritic liquid flow responsible for the formation of macrosegregation can be suppressed, and thereby that the macrosegregation such as freckles can completely be eliminated. Thus, this invention provides with a novel casting technology for producing high quality castings and ingots without macrosegregation.

A method of forming a cast metal alloy comprises providing a molten ferromagnetic metal alloy; utilizing AC or DC electrical power to generate a pulsed or oscillating magnetic field within the interior space of a casting mold via a magnetic core assembly surrounding the casting mold; filling the casting mold with the molten metal alloy; applying the pulsed or oscillating magnetic field to the molten metal alloy during solidification to mix a molten portion of the solidifying body; and continuing applying the pulsed or oscillating magnetic field to the solidifying body until complete solidification is achieved. The method has particular utility in the formation of cast ferromagnetic alloys for use as high PTF sputtering targets having improved microstructural features.

A method of and apparatus for treating a preshaped magnetic material wherein a a high-energy corpuscular beam is applied to the material held in a magnetic field.