Aluminum/lithium/x materials

Abstract

Exposure to radiation is ordinarily countered by lead shields or lithium compounds with large nuclei and small electron clouds. Unfortunately lead is heavy and the effective lithium compounds are highly reactive and structurally unsuitable.This invention takes thin sheets of aluminum-lithium alloy and rearranges the atoms into lithium-rich and aluminum-rich layers in alternate strata and laminates them into a sandwich structure with multiple lithium-rich layers and aluminum-rich layers.Each individual sheet is heat treated as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,197 and project NaAMTCO-330 ONR N00014-94-2-001 University of New Orleans / U.S. Navy by Alfred Daech. The individual sheets are heated under an argon or nitrogen blanket to cause the lithium in the alloy to concentrate at the surfaces. These sheets are then stacked to the desired final thickness. Lamination may be with or without adhesive. The final laminate is water washed to remove raw reactive lithium from the final handling exterior surfaces.

Description

CROSS REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]N / AFEDERAL FUNDING[0002]N / ABACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0003]It is necessary to expend large amounts of energy to propel a space vehicle to escape the Earth's gravitational pulls. Once in space the propulsion required to send the vehicle further into space becomes considerably less while radiation increases in intensity. Dangerous radiation threatens the astronauts who are working on projects in orbit on the space station or other space vehicles and may damage or destroy the experiments being conducted. We deal with the issue of extra weight when heading into low Earth orbit and the degradation by radiation in this application namely by reducing the weight of the materials on the way to space and increasing space radiation protection and bacterial contamination resistance by using aluminum / lithium alloys.Aluminum / Lithium / X Materials SUMMARY OF DISCLOSURE[0004]This invention relates to improvements in material compositions utilized to provide ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent is about improving materials used to protect vehicles and equipment from radiation, corrosion, and bacteria in damp environments. The invention uses a lightweight alloy called aluminum / lithium, which is effective without adding heavy metals that can have negative impacts on health. The alloy can be applied in different forms, such as sheets, flakes, or powder, and can be heat treated to enhance its performance. The heat treatment involves concentrating lithium on the surface of the alloy, which makes it a close-knit barrier to radiation and also provides a surface for fighting bacteria. The alloy can be laminated to make it even more effective at filtering out radiation and saving weight. Other metals can be added to the alloy, but they should not greatly change its function. Overall, this invention provides a lightweight, eco-friendly solution for protecting sensitive equipment in space.

Problems solved by technology

As the atmosphere is reduced the intensity of the radiation increases to a point where it can be lethal.

Stopping the radiation with such dense material as lead is impractical due to the weight penalties.

Heavy metals can have serious consequences in the environment.