SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR FRICTION CONSOLIDATION FABRICATION OF PERMANENT MAGNETS AND OTHER EXTRUSION AND NON-EXTRUSION STRUCTURES
A die tool and process are described that provide friction consolidation fabrication and friction consolidation extrusion fabrication products including permanent magnets, and other extrusion and non-extrusion structures. The present invention overcomes previous particle size, texture, homogeneity and density limitations in conventional metallurgy processes.
1 . A die tool for friction consolidation fabrication, the die tool comprises:
a rotatable containment die configured to contain a selected material within a chamber disposed therein and to rotate the selected material; and
at least one rotatable plunge tool configured to compress and/or rotate the selected material in the containment die at a compression load and rotation speed selected to frictionally consolidate the selected material therein that forms a friction-consolidated material comprising consolidated grains of a size below about five microns (5 μm) aligned along a selected crystallographic axis or direction.
2 . The die tool of claim 1 , wherein the die tool further includes an electromagnetic coil that circumvolves the containment die configured to deliver a magnetic field of a selected strength through the material contained within the chamber of the containment die.
3 . The die tool of claim 1 , wherein the die tool further includes an electromagnetic coil that circumvolves the containment die configured to deliver a magnetic field of a selected strength through the material contained within the chamber of the containment die and an ultrasonic source configured to deliver ultrasound at selected ultrasonic frequencies through the material in the containment die that promotes alignment of grains of the consolidated material along the magnetocrystalline (long) axis.
4 . The die tool of claim 1 , wherein the die tool further includes an extrusion die with an orifice of a selected shape configured to extrude the consolidated material that forms extrusion structures with selected shapes.
5 . The die tool of claim 4 , wherein the extrusion die is a net shape extrusion die configured to provide a net shape extrusion material or a net shape extrusion structure upon extrusion of the selected material.
6 . The die tool of claim 1 , wherein the die tool further includes a cooling system or device configured to actively cool the containment die containing the selected process material, the plunge tool in contact with the selected process material, and/or the consolidation product prior to or immediately following extrusion.
7 . The die tool of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rotatable plunge tool is configured to compress and/or rotate the selected material in the containment die at a compression load that frictionally heats the selected material at a temperature below the melting temperature to consolidate same.
8 . The die tool of claim 1 , wherein the at least one rotatable plunge tool is configured to deliver a compression load selected between about 50 psi (0.34 MPa) to about 500,000 psi (3.4E+03 MPa) that is a constant load or a variable load.
9 . The die tool of claim 1 , wherein the at least one plunge tool and the containment die are both rotatable such that the selected material may be rotated by rotating the plunge tool or the containment die, or by rotating both the plunge tool and the containment die at selected rotation speeds relative to the other up to about 1000 rpm.
10 . The die tool of claim 1 , wherein the containment die includes at least one die fixture configured to secure the containment die within the system frame during operation.
11 . The die tool of claim 1 , further includes an electromagnetic coil that circumvolves the containment die configured to deliver a magnetic field with a flux density greater than about 0.05 Tesla through the selected material in the containment die that aligns consolidated grains of the selected material along the magnetic easy axis.
12 . The die tool of claim 1 , wherein the containment die includes an extrusion die with an orifice having selected shapes configured to extrude a consolidation product through the orifice of the extrusion die yielding extrusion structures with selected shapes and dimensions.