Granted Patent B2

US 12,377,455 · App. 17/984,144 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Inventors: Vineet V. Joshi (Richland, WA); Glenn J. Grant (Benton City, WA); Curt A. Lavender (Richland, WA); Scott A. Whalen (West Richland, WA); Saumyadeep Jana (Kennewick, WA); David Catalini (Hyattsville, MD); Jens T. Darsell (West Richland, WA)

Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute

B21C23/002B21C23/04B21C23/217B21C23/218B21C23/22B21C25/02B21C27/02B21C29/003

Abstract

Claims (29)

1. An extrusion process comprising:

simultaneously providing a rotational shearing force and an axial extrusion force between a spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die and one end of a billet positioned within a rotating container and in contact with a scroll face of the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die, the scroll face comprising spiral scroll features to plasticize the one end of the billet;

wherein the spiral scroll features of the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die are configured to convey plasticized billet material from an outer edge of the scroll face of the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die through an orifice within the spiral scroll features of the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die as the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die is rotated to form an extrusion product.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein extrusion of the plasticized billet material is performed at a temperature less than 100° C.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the axial extrusion force is at or below 100 MPa.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the billet comprises the one end of the billet and a remainder of the billet, the remainder of the billet being at or below ambient temperature during the extrusion process.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the billet is heated at the one end when providing the rotational shearing force and the axial extrusion force between the one end of the billet and the scroll face of the spiral-scroll faced extrusion die.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the spiral scroll features of the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die defines between 2 and 16 spiral starts.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the orifice of the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die is configured to receive a mandrel, the plasticized billet material being conveyed between an exterior of the mandrel and an interior of the orifice.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the billet is configured with an opening configured to receive the mandrel.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein the mandrel is a chilled mandrel.

10. The process of claim 8 wherein the billet comprises at least two different materials.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the billet is not heated prior to the extrusion.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein a size of microstructure grains of the extrusion product are less than a size of microstructure grains of the billet.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein the size of the microstructure grains of the extrusion product are approximately one-half the size of the microstructure grains of the billet prior to providing the rotational shearing force and the axial extrusion force.

14. A device for performing shear-assisted extrusion, the device comprising:

a die tool defining a scroll face, the scroll face comprising spiral scroll features and an orifice within the spiral scroll features;

a rotating container configured to hold and position a billet within the rotating container; and

at least one actuator to establish a rotational shearing force and an axial extrusion force between the die tool and an end of the billet positioned in the rotating container and in contact with the scroll face by establishing rotation of the rotating container relative to the die tool;

wherein the spiral scroll features are configured to plasticize the end of the billet as the die tool is rotated to allow the die tool to extrude plasticized billet material through the orifice to form an extrusion product.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the spiral scroll features are configured to convey the plasticized end of the billet from an outer edge of the scroll face of the die tool toward the orifice within the spiral scroll features of the die tool as the die tool is rotated.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the die tool is configured to move plasticized billet material through the orifice surrounded by the spiral scroll features.

17. An extrusion process comprising:

simultaneously providing a rotational shearing force and an axial extrusion force at an interface between a spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die and one end of a billet positioned within a rotating container and in contact with a scroll face of the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die, the scroll face comprising spiral scroll features to plasticize the one end of the billet;

wherein the spiral scroll features of the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die are configured to engage and move plasticized billet material toward an orifice at which the spiral scroll features terminate, from an outer edge of the scroll face of the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die through the orifice as the spiral-scroll-faced extrusion die is rotated to form an extrusion product; and

wherein the billet is at or below ambient temperature prior to extrusion.

18. The extrusion process of claim 17 wherein a grain size of the extrusion product is relatively constant throughout a wall thickness of the extrusion product.

19. The extrusion process of claim 18 wherein a grain refinement of the extrusion product is from approximately 1 mm to approximately 4 microns.

20. The extrusion process of claim 18 wherein a texture throughout the wall thickness of the extrusion product is variable.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (8)

References Cited (302)