A -- Research & DevelopmentCommercialization and Licensing of Nickel Aluminide technology Please address all correspondence to: G. W. Joe (email: [email protected]) UT-Battelle, LLC (UT-Battelle), the management and operating contractor for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under the authority of its Prime Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy, is seeking expressions of interest from companies for licensing and commercialization of ORNL's intellectual property in the technology area of nickel aluminide. In alloys of nickel and aluminum there are two intermetallic compounds of significant commercial interest. One of these two intermetallic compounds is based on alloys of nickel with aluminum and other elements that results in metallic materials that can be described by the ordered crystal structure of Ni(3)Al. These nickel aluminide alloys have unique properties that make them attractive candidates for many high temperature applications. The nickel aluminide alloy commonly referred to as IC221M in published information is covered by ASTM A1002-99, "Standard Specification for Castings, Nickel-Aluminum Ordered Alloy." As the ASTM Specification title indicates, the IC221M alloy is intended for use as metal cast parts. The nominal chemical composition of IC221M in weight percent is: nickel balance - 8 aluminum -7.7 chromium - 1.43 molybdenum - 1.7 zirconium. The ordered crystal structure of IC221M contributes to its unusual properties. For example, the strength of the alloy increases above its room temperature strength as it is heated to 700-900?C. Additionally, it maintains relatively high strength to nearly 1100?C. Besides its high strength, the alloy forms a highly protective aluminum oxide surface scale that makes it very resistant to further oxidation and carburization. These properties make the IC221M alloy an attractive replacement for the traditional heat-resistant alloys commonly used for heat-treating fixtures. For example, the typical life of a heat-treating tray made from a more conventional cast austenitic alloy is 12-15 months. In side-by-side testing in a commercial batch heat-treating furnace for steel parts, nickel aluminide trays were still in use with no failures after over 3? years of service. The initial cost of the nickel aluminide trays is 1?-2 times higher than traditional alloys, but extended tray life more than offsets the higher initial tray cost. It is anticipated that the nickel aluminide trays will also permit increases in throughput per furnace. A range of additional heat treating applications and other metal processing applications are anticipated for the IC221M nickel aluminide alloy including fixtures for carburizing furnaces, radiant tubes, fans, rolls, and dies. UT-Battelle is interested in licensing the technology for producing and fabricating nickel aluminide parts. Any interested company is encouraged to respond to this announcement as soon as possible. It is anticipated that the best-qualified respondents will have well-established expertise in casting heat resistant and other advanced alloys. Companies with in-house capabilities for both static casting and centrifugal casting are especially sought. Other desirable capabilities include expertise for machining high strength metals, and for welding advanced alloys by both manual and automated techniques. An established reputation in and knowledge of the heat-treating business is also viewed as highly desirable. The technology transfer process will be facilitated through appropriate licensing of UT-Battelle's intellectual property between UT-Battelle and the Licensee. Interested companies with experience and expertise commensurate with the requirements of this commercialization effort are invited to respond to this announcement. Companies interested in this opportunity may obtain more detailed technical information and description of the licensing process by submitting a statement of interest, including a written description of their company and its activities and an explanation of their potential application of the technology. One-page expression of interest should be received by March 29, 2002. No licensing intermediaries please. This is not a procurement activity.

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