Congruently melting high purity titanium alloy for optical mounts, flexures, and structural elements requiring compliance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11899277-B2
Application number	US-202318184952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2023
Priority date	Jul 30, 2020
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A flexure including a bipod strut pair extending from a base and a titanium-zirconium-niobium alloy, which includes titanium, about 13.5 to about 14.5 wt. % zirconium, and about 18 to about 19 weight % (wt. %) niobium. The titanium-zirconium-niobium alloy has a congruent melting temperature of about 1750 to about 1800° Celsius (° C.).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making a compliant mount or mechanism structure, the method comprising:
forming a congruently melting alloy of titanium, about 13.5 to about 14.5 wt. % zirconium, and about 18 to about 19 wt. % niobium, a congruently melting temperature of the congruently melting alloy being about 1750 to about 1850° C.; and forging the congruently melting alloy into a flexure having a circular body and a plurality of attachment arms arranged on the circular body to couple the flexure to an optical element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the congruently melting alloy comprises vacuum induction melting or vacuum arc re-melting.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forging the congruently melting alloy comprises hot forging, isothermal forging, rolling into a billet shape or slab, drawing into a wire, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the congruently melting alloy has an elastic modulus of about 7 to about 12 Megapounds per square inch (Msi).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the congruently melting alloy has an elongation at break of about 8% to about 30%.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the congruently melting alloy has an ultimate strength of about 100 to about 140 Kilopounds per square inch (Ksi).

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Rajan Sunder S
• Lovullo Nicholas J
• Carrigan Keith
• Herndon Mary K

Classifications

• G02B7/182 Primary

  for mirrors · CPC title

• C22C14/00 Primary

  Alloys based on titanium · CPC title

• G02B6/366

  the additional structures allowing for adjustment or alignment in all dimensions, i.e. 3D microoptics arrangements, e.g. free space optics on the microbench, microhinges or spring latches, with associated microactuating elements for fine adjustment or alignment · CPC title

• G02B7/008

  with means for compensating for changes in temperature or for controlling the temperature; thermal stabilisation · CPC title

• C22F1/183

  of titanium or alloys based thereon · CPC title