Importance

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Abstract

An improved mixing tube for use in a high-pressure abrasive fluid jet system is shown and described. In a preferred embodiment, the mixing tube is provided by forming a first piece and a second piece, each piece having a length that is substantially equal to the length of the mixing tube. A longitudinal groove is provided in each piece, the longitudinal groove extending from a first end to a second end of each piece. The first and second pieces are coupled together, such that the first and second longitudinal grooves meet to form a bore that extends longitudinally through the length of the mixing tube. Although the first and second pieces may be joined in a variety of ways, in a preferred embodiment, the two pieces are joined by shrink fitting a metal sheath around the outer surface of each piece. The first and second pieces are made of a hard ceramic material, and the longitudinal grooves are formed by grinding the pieces to remove material along their length. In this manner, any desired geometry of the bore may be achieved by varying the amount of material removed from each piece. To further increase the life of the mixing tube, each of the first and second longitudinal bores is coated prior to being coupled together, the longitudinal grooves being coated using conventional CVD techniques.

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First Claim