Process of making iron-aluminum alloys and components thereof

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PREPARING DUCTILE IRON-ALUMINUM ALLOYS COMPRISING DIRECTING A STREAM OF MOLTEN IRON HAVING A CARBON CONTENT ABOVE ABOUT 0.03% AND UP TO ABOUT 0.2% BY WEIGHT FROM A SOURCE THEREOF TO A RECEPTACLE IN WHICH SAID MOLTEN IRON IS TO BE COLLECTED, SAID MOLTEN IRON CONTAINING SOLUBLE CARBON AND OXYGEN, SUBJECTING SAID STREAM OF MOLTEN IRON TO A VACUUM EQUIVALENT TO A PRESSURE OF LESS THAN ABOUT 1/10 OF AN ATMOSPHERE AND DISPERSING SAID STREAM WHILE SUBJECT TO SAID VACUUM TO REDUCE THE FERROSTATIC PRESSURE THEREON AND PRODUCE A STREAM OF DROPLETS OF MOLTEN IRON INCREASING THE EXPOSED AREA OF SAID STREAM TO SAID VACUUM TO THEREBY INDUCE THE FORMATION OF GASEOUS OXIDES OF CARBON FROM SAID SOLUBLE CARBON AND OXYGEN IN SAID STREAM, CONTINUING THE APPLICATION OF SAID VACUUM TO REMOVE SAID GASEOUS OXIDES FROM SAID STREAM AND REDUCE THE CARBON CONTENT OF THE MOLTEN IRON COLLECTED IN SAID RECEPTACLE TO AN AMOUNT BELOW 0.03% BY WEIGHT, INTRODUCING SOLID ALUMINUM INTO THE RECEPTACLE IN A MANNER SUCH THAT THE ALUMINUM IS BROUGHT INTO CONTACT WITH THE SUBSTANTIALLY DEGASSED STREAM OF MOLTEN IRON BENEATH THE SAME, AND INTRODUCING SAID ALUMINUM IN AMOUNT TO PRODUCE AN IRON-ALUMINUM ALLOY CONTAINING BETWEEN ABOUT 3 TO 12% BY WEIGHT OF ALUMINUM, SAID ALLOY BEING DUCTILE.