Baseball and softball bats with fused nano-structured metals and alloys

Abstract

A sports bat, such as a baseball or softball bat, is electro-deposited with a nanostructured metal. Bats made from aluminum alloys or other metals may be electro-deposited with varying thicknesses of nanostructured metals such as nickel, nickel iron, cobalt phosphorous, or similar materials. The bat substrate alloy can be any metal or alloy. The coating may be done using an electro-deposition process.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A method of manufacturing a sports bat comprising:
 providing a body portion including a barrel portion, a taper portion and a handle portion;   forming at least a portion of the body portion as a substrate; and   electro-depositing said substrate, at least in part, with a nanostructure material.   
     
     
         26 . A method of  claim 25 , further comprising processing the substrate to obtain a predetermined thickness of the nanostructured material. 
     
     
         27 . A method of  claim 26 , further comprising varying the thickness of the nanostructured material. 
     
     
         28 . A method of  claim 25 , further comprising activating at least a portion of the substrate prior to electro-depositing with the nanostructure material. 
     
     
         29 . A method of  claim 25 , further comprising forming at least part of the nanostructured material into a shell, the shell being a substrate for a second material to be coated thereon. 
     
     
         30 . A method of  claim 25 , further comprising forming the substrate from on e of an aluminum alloy, a composite, a polymer and a magnesium alloy