US2900281A - Method of bonding metal borides to graphite - Google Patents

Method of bonding metal borides to graphite Download PDF

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Publication number
US2900281A
US2900281A US369175A US36917553A US2900281A US 2900281 A US2900281 A US 2900281A US 369175 A US369175 A US 369175A US 36917553 A US36917553 A US 36917553A US 2900281 A US2900281 A US 2900281A
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United States
Prior art keywords
boride
graphite
cathode
metal
melted
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Expired - Lifetime
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US369175A
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English (en)
Inventor
William R Grams
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General Electric Co
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General Electric Co
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Publication date
Application filed by General Electric Co filed Critical General Electric Co
Priority to US369175A priority Critical patent/US2900281A/en
Priority to FR66913D priority patent/FR66913E/fr
Priority to GB21141/54A priority patent/GB754499A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2900281A publication Critical patent/US2900281A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J9/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture, installation, removal, maintenance of electric discharge tubes, discharge lamps, or parts thereof; Recovery of material from discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J9/02—Manufacture of electrodes or electrode systems
    • H01J9/04—Manufacture of electrodes or electrode systems of thermionic cathodes
    • H01J9/042—Manufacture, activation of the emissive part
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T428/00—Stock material or miscellaneous articles
    • Y10T428/30—Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Definitions

  • the borides of the rare earths, the alkaline earths, and thorium and uranium provide thermionic emitters having very desirable electrical and chemical properties.
  • One ditficulty involved in their use is that at the relatively high temperatures at which they are capable of operating the life of the cathode is relatively short if the borides or a mixture of them are supported by a metal member or core. This appears to be due to the reduction of the borides when applied directly to the metal support member with the result that the boride diffuses into the refractory metal and the metal of the boride evaporates from the cathode surface.
  • the quantity of a metal boride which is to comprise the cathode emitter is placed on a graphite holder or support member.
  • the boride is then heated to the melting point until the entire boride body is melted.
  • the temperature of the melt is maintained uniform without locally increasing the temperatures of the first-melted portions thereof until all of the boride is melted to avoid extensive local dissolution of the graphite body.
  • the metal boride is firmly bonded to the graphite support upon cooling, and, since the boride and the carbon do not chemically combine but instead tend to dissolve in each other, a bond is formed due to the interlacing of the adjacent surfaces of the boride and the graphite support member.
  • Fig. 1 represents a cathode made in accordance with the method of my invention
  • gig. 2 shows the cathode of Fig. 1 before assembly
  • FIG. 3 illustrates the method of forming the cathode of Fig. 1.
  • a graphite block 1 is shown therein supported on a refractory metal base 2 suitably made of tantalum which has its ends bent up to tightly grip the block 1.
  • a crystalline body of lanthanum boride 3 bonded thereto. While the hexaboride of lanthanum is preferred, other metal borides where the metal is one of the rare alkaline earths or thorium or uranium or a mixture of them may also be employed.
  • the boride body 3 in the crystalline form possesses certain advantages over the more conventional pressed powder pellet or sintering in that it is mechanically stronger and less subject to disintegration due to ion bombardment or mechanical vibration.
  • the steps of making the cathode of Fig. 1 are respectively illustrated in Figs. 2. and 3.
  • the graphite holder 1 is provided with a channel or recess 4 in the upper face thereof to accommodate a lower portion of a block 5 made of pressed boride powder.
  • the pressed powder block 5, while it represents all of the boride material in the completed crystal in body 3, must be considerably larger than that body 3 due to the substantially lower specific density of the boride in the pressed powder form. Accordingly, the sides 6 of the powder block 5 are shaved so that the block will fit within the channel 4 with the excess or remainder of the material extending above the upper surface of the graphite block 1.
  • a bell jar 7 inverted over the cathode assembly defines a chamber for the inert gas which is supplied thereto through a duct 8 in a base 9.
  • the inert gas may suitably be helium, or other non-oxidizing atmospheres which will not cause a reaction with the materials of the cathode assembly may be employed.
  • a non-consumable welding electrode 10 suitably made of tungsten, is passed through an aperture 11 in the bell jar 7 to strike an are between the end of the electrode and the boride body.
  • the terminals of a suitable welding current source 12 are connected between the cathode assembly and the electrode 10.
  • a flexible grommet or diaphragm 13 provides a seal for the aperture 11 between the edges thereof and the welding electrode 10. With such an arrangement the end of the electrode may be placed adjacent any exposed portion of the boride body 5 to thus control the position of the arc and localize the heating of the boride body as desired.
  • the boride body 5 be evenly heated insofar as all portions of the body may be melted as nearly simultaneously as possible without further heating of the first-melted portions thereof.
  • the boride body gradually becomes compacted and as the current is increased the weld pool forms under the electrode. The are is kept moving over the surface to increase the area of the weld pool.
  • the, arc is not directed on the pool already formed nor is the current increased before the pool stops increasing in size. While an oven might seem to provide the uniform temperature, it is necessary to utilize localized heating and control it as described to prevent localized dissolution of the carbon.
  • the molten boride body After the molten boride body has cooled to assume the form of a body 2 shown in Fig. 1, it is firmly bonded to the graphite by reason of the interlacing or intermeshing of the facing surfaces of the graphite and the boride body due to their tendency to dissolve in each other.
  • the upperv surface of the boride body 3 is suitably finished as by lapping to the desired contour.
  • the cathode assembly is then positioned in place in the desired electron discharge apparatus and can be suitably heated to an operating temperature in the neighborhood of 1500 C. without deterioration of the boride emitting surface.
  • cathodes made in accordance with my invention have a high resistance to shock and vibration and that the bond so formed between the graphite and the boride is mechanically adequate without adverse eifects upon either substance.
  • the method of making a thermionic cathode which comprises placing an amount of a metal boride electron emitting material on a graphite holder, heating the boride at a localized portion until it begins to melt, further heating the unmelted portions until all the boride is melted to avoid localized heating of the melted boride portions and resulting contamination of the boride with carbon, and allowing the melted boride to cool.
  • the method of making a thermionic cathode which comprises placing an amount of a metal boride electron emitting material on a graphite holder, heating the boride at a localized portion with an electric arc until it begins to melt, further heating unmelted portions by moving the are over the metal boride until all the boride is melted to avoid localized heating of the melted boride portions and resulting contamination of the boride with carbon, and allowing the melted boride to cool.
  • the method of making a thermionic cathode which comprises placing an electron emitting body of pressed powder metal boride on a graphite support block, heating a localized portion of the boride in an inert atmosphere until a portion of the boride body begins to melt, further differentially heating the boride body to apply more heat to the remaining unmelted portions than to the melted portions to complete the melting of the boride and minimize contamination of the boride with carbon, and allowing the boride to cool.
  • a thermionic cathode which comprises placing an electron emitting body of pressed powder lanthanum boride on a graphite support block, heating a localized portion of the boride body with an electric arc in an inert atmosphere until a portion of the boride body begins to melt, further directing the arc to the remaining unmelted portions of the boride body until they are melted without substantial contamination of the boride with carbon, and allowing the boride to

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Solid Thermionic Cathode (AREA)
US369175A 1953-07-20 1953-07-20 Method of bonding metal borides to graphite Expired - Lifetime US2900281A (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US369175A US2900281A (en) 1953-07-20 1953-07-20 Method of bonding metal borides to graphite
FR66913D FR66913E (fr) 1953-07-20 1954-07-13 Substances à pouvoir émissif élevé
GB21141/54A GB754499A (en) 1953-07-20 1954-07-20 Improvements relating to the bonding of metal borides to graphite

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US369175A US2900281A (en) 1953-07-20 1953-07-20 Method of bonding metal borides to graphite

Publications (1)

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US2900281A true US2900281A (en) 1959-08-18

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US (1) US2900281A (fr)
FR (1) FR66913E (fr)
GB (1) GB754499A (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3285697A (en) * 1963-04-03 1966-11-15 Li Pei-Ching Method for making single crystal graphite sheets
US3348929A (en) * 1962-04-16 1967-10-24 Metalurgitschen Zd Lenin Protecting carbon materials from oxidation
US3521884A (en) * 1965-03-22 1970-07-28 Dow Chemical Co Article with an expanded vermicular graphite core
FR2388405A1 (fr) * 1977-04-18 1978-11-17 Hitachi Ltd Fabrication d'une cathode pour une source d'electrons
US5871848A (en) * 1987-05-22 1999-02-16 Oregon Graduate Institute Of Science & Technology Enhanced-wetting, boron-based liquid-metal ion source and method

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3119171A (en) * 1958-07-23 1964-01-28 Texas Instruments Inc Method of making low resistance electrical contacts on graphite
FR2445605A1 (fr) * 1978-12-27 1980-07-25 Thomson Csf Cathode a chauffage direct et tube electronique haute frequence comportant une telle cathode
JPS57196443A (en) * 1981-05-29 1982-12-02 Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kk Manufacture of hot cathode

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1162149A (en) * 1914-10-22 1915-11-30 Engelhardt A Eckhardt Process of making wear-withstanding coat.
US1262134A (en) * 1914-06-02 1918-04-09 Georg Stoelle Apparatus for making metallic coatings.
US1589017A (en) * 1918-10-11 1926-06-15 John C Lincoln Method and means for electric-arc welding
US1858413A (en) * 1929-12-30 1932-05-17 Ig Farbenindustrie Ag Calcium boride
US1948382A (en) * 1931-09-02 1934-02-20 Nat Carbon Co Inc Oxidation resisting carbon article
US2459812A (en) * 1946-05-31 1949-01-25 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Welding apparatus
US2592414A (en) * 1947-11-08 1952-04-08 Air Reduction Method of producing hard-faced metal
US2659685A (en) * 1950-03-31 1953-11-17 Gen Electric Boride cathodes
US2671735A (en) * 1950-07-07 1954-03-09 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electrical resistors and methods of making them
US2678870A (en) * 1950-06-21 1954-05-18 Walter M Weil Manufacture of refractory metal borides
US2755199A (en) * 1951-02-19 1956-07-17 Kellogg M W Co Hard coated composite and method of forming

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1262134A (en) * 1914-06-02 1918-04-09 Georg Stoelle Apparatus for making metallic coatings.
US1162149A (en) * 1914-10-22 1915-11-30 Engelhardt A Eckhardt Process of making wear-withstanding coat.
US1589017A (en) * 1918-10-11 1926-06-15 John C Lincoln Method and means for electric-arc welding
US1858413A (en) * 1929-12-30 1932-05-17 Ig Farbenindustrie Ag Calcium boride
US1948382A (en) * 1931-09-02 1934-02-20 Nat Carbon Co Inc Oxidation resisting carbon article
US2459812A (en) * 1946-05-31 1949-01-25 Standard Telephones Cables Ltd Welding apparatus
US2592414A (en) * 1947-11-08 1952-04-08 Air Reduction Method of producing hard-faced metal
US2659685A (en) * 1950-03-31 1953-11-17 Gen Electric Boride cathodes
US2678870A (en) * 1950-06-21 1954-05-18 Walter M Weil Manufacture of refractory metal borides
US2671735A (en) * 1950-07-07 1954-03-09 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Electrical resistors and methods of making them
US2755199A (en) * 1951-02-19 1956-07-17 Kellogg M W Co Hard coated composite and method of forming

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3348929A (en) * 1962-04-16 1967-10-24 Metalurgitschen Zd Lenin Protecting carbon materials from oxidation
US3476586A (en) * 1962-04-16 1969-11-04 Metalurgitschen Z Lenin Method of coating carbon bodies and the resulting products
US3285697A (en) * 1963-04-03 1966-11-15 Li Pei-Ching Method for making single crystal graphite sheets
US3521884A (en) * 1965-03-22 1970-07-28 Dow Chemical Co Article with an expanded vermicular graphite core
FR2388405A1 (fr) * 1977-04-18 1978-11-17 Hitachi Ltd Fabrication d'une cathode pour une source d'electrons
US5871848A (en) * 1987-05-22 1999-02-16 Oregon Graduate Institute Of Science & Technology Enhanced-wetting, boron-based liquid-metal ion source and method

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR66913E (fr) 1957-10-31
GB754499A (en) 1956-08-08

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