Importance

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Abstract

Relatively long metal microfilaments are used to make superior high strength structural materials and/or are used as reinforcing materials in plastic and rubber compositions. A blowing gas is applied at a positive pressure to the inner surface of a metal film formed across a coaxial blowing nozzle to blow the film and form an elongated hollow tube having a thinned wall or weakened portion. An entraining fluid is directed at an angle over and around the blowing nozzle and as it passes over and around the blowing nozzle fluid dynamically induces a pulsating or fluctuating pressure field at the opposite side of the blowing nozzle in the wake thereof and produces a laminar flow of entraining fluid in the vicinity of the forming elongated tube. The continued movement of the entraining fluid over the elongated tube produces asymetric fluid drag forces on the tube, and at the thinned wall portion longitudinally breaks the tube to form a multiplicity of metal microfilaments, and detaches the metal microfilaments from the elongated tube and from the coaxial blowing nozzle. Quench nozzles can be disposed below and on either side of the blowing nozzle to direct cooling fluid at and into contact with the molten metal microfilaments to rapidly cool and solidify the molten metal to form hardened microfilaments.

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First Claim