Certification of cryogenically treated articles

Abstract

Embodiments validate cryogenic processing of metal-matrix validation articles according to destructive and/or non-destructive testing of witness articles. For example, validation can certify that the validation article has undergone a particular cryogenic treatment protocol, resulting in validated and/or certified enhancements in wear characteristics, resistance to corrosion, increases in electrochemical bonding of surface treatments, increases in theoretical useable lifespan, etc. According to some embodiments, processing results are validated by generating witness results from destructive and/or non-destructive testing of the witness articles subsequent to deep-cryogenic treatment. The processing (e.g., including witness results and/or analysis thereof) may then be entered into a computer-controlled, parametric analysis system that generates absolute and comparative validation and/or certification of the validation articles.

1 . A method for certifying cryogenically treated articles against a cryogenic processing contract, the method comprising:
 identifying a set of output material targets from provisions of the cryogenic processing contract, the set of output material targets comprising a set of metallurgic characteristic values of a metal-matrix treatment article to be achieved by cryogenic processing of the treatment article;   determining a processing protocol by which to perform cryogenic processing of the treatment article to achieve the set of output material targets;   determining a validation protocol by which to validate achievement of the set of output material targets from cryogenic processing of the treatment article;   cryogenically treating the treatment article and a witness article according to the processing protocol, the witness article having at least one metallurgic characteristic in common with the treatment article prior to cryogenic treatment;   validating the set of output material targets of the treatment article by testing at least one metallurgic characteristic of the witness article according to the validation protocol to generate witness results and validating the set of metallurgic characteristic values of the treatment article by proxy according to the witness results; and   generating certification documentation certifying cryogenic treatment of the validation article according to results of the validating step and provisions of the cryogenic processing contract.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the cryogenic processing contract is for certification of the validation article by a third-party oversight entity;   the processing protocol is determined according to processing protocol guidelines pre-certified by the third-party oversight entity; and   the validation protocol is determined according to validation protocol guidelines pre-certified by the third-party oversight entity.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cryogenic processing contract is for military-accepted certification of the validation article. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, prior to cryogenically treating the treatment article, a set of metallurgic characteristics of the validation article that correspond to the set of output material targets; and   procuring the witness article to substantially manifest the set of metallurgic characteristics so that the witness article has the at least one metallurgic characteristic in common with the treatment article prior to cryogenic treatment.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein procuring the witness article comprises manufacturing the witness article to substantially manifest the set of metallurgic characteristics. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cryogenically treating the treatment article and the witness article according to the processing protocol comprises:
 ramping down a temperature of the treatment article from an ambient temperature to a deep cryogenic temperature according to a ramp down profile dictated by the processing protocol;   cold soaking the treatment article substantially at the deep cryogenic temperature for a duration dictated by the processing protocol; and   ramping up the temperature of the treatment article from the deep cryogenic temperature to the ambient temperature according to a ramp up profile dictated by the processing protocol.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein testing the at least one metallurgic characteristic of the witness article comprises:
 destructively testing the witness article to measure the at least one metallurgic characteristic of the witness article.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein testing the at least one metallurgic characteristic of the witness article comprises:
 non-destructively testing the witness article to measure the at least one metallurgic characteristic of the witness article.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein testing the at least one metallurgic characteristic of the witness article comprises using a testing apparatus that is pre-certified for use under the cryogenic processing contract. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the testing apparatus that is pre-certified for use under the cryogenic processing contract includes at least one of a tribology measuring device, a three-dimensional white-light interferometric measuring device, a potentiodynamic polarization conductivity testing device, a salt-spray testing device, a corrosion testing device, a wear testing device, a fatigue testing device, or a fracture testing device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein testing the at least one metallurgic characteristic of the witness article comprises using a testing apparatus that is calibrated or certified in accordance with an applicable military pre-accepted or commercially pre-accepted procedure. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein validating the set of metallurgic characteristic values of the treatment article by proxy according to the witness results comprises:
 generating absolute and/or comparative validation results using computer-controlled, parametric analysis of the witness results.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a pre-inspection protocol imposed by a third-party oversight entity under provisions of the cryogenic processing contract; and   inspecting the treatment article according to the pre-inspection protocol.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining processing protocols for each of a set of treatment articles in an inventory according to output material targets associated with each of the set of treatment articles;   using a computer-implemented inventorying system to select a subset of treatment articles from the inventory having processing protocols that are compatible, such that the subset of treatment articles can be cryogenically processed as a batch to concurrently achieve the output material targets associated with each of the subset of treatment articles, the treatment article being one of the subset of treatment articles;   generating a shared processing protocol according to the respective processing protocols of the subset of treatment articles; and   cryogenically treating the subset of treatment articles as a batch according to the shared processing protocol.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the subset of treatment articles is cryogenically treated in a chamber having a chamber geometry, and further comprising:
 using the computer-implemented inventorying system to further select the subset of treatment articles to optimize batch size as a function of article geometries associated with the treatment articles and the chamber geometry.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the certification documentation certifying cryogenic treatment of the validation article according to results of the validating step and provisions of the cryogenic processing contract comprises:
 generating a military-acceptable certificate under provisions of the cryogenic processing contract, the certificate indicating that the validation article has undergone cryogenic treatment according to a certified processing protocol.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the certification documentation certifying cryogenic treatment of the validation article according to results of the validating step and provisions of the cryogenic processing contract comprises:
 generating a military-acceptable certificate under provisions of the cryogenic processing contract, the certificate indicating that the set of output material targets of the treatment article have been validated according to a certified validation protocol.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 performing outbound logistics on the treatment article according to provisions of the cryogenic processing contract.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 determining a post-inspection protocol imposed by a third-party oversight entity under provisions of the cryogenic processing contract,   wherein performing outbound logistics on the treatment article according to provisions of the cryogenic processing contract comprises preparing the treatment article for shipment to a destination subject to the post-inspection protocol.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein validating the set of output material targets is performed under inspection of a third-party oversight entity. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of output material targets is derived from performance targets indicated in provisions of the cryogenic processing contract. 
     
     
         22 . A method for certifying cryogenically treated articles against a cryogenic processing contract for military certification of a treatment article, the method comprising:
 performing pre-inspection of the treatment article under military-accepted guidelines;   identifying a set of output material targets from provisions of the cryogenic processing contract, the set of output material targets comprising a set of metallurgic characteristic values of a metal-matrix treatment article to be achieved by cryogenic processing of the treatment article;   determining a military-accepted processing protocol by which to perform cryogenic processing of the treatment article to achieve the set of output material targets;   determining a military-accepted validation protocol by which to validate achievement of the set of output material targets from cryogenic processing of the treatment article;   cryogenically treating the treatment article according to the military-accepted processing protocol;   validating the set of output material targets of the treatment article according to the military-accepted validation protocol; and   generating military-accepted certification documentation certifying cryogenic treatment of the validation article according to results of the validating step and provisions of the cryogenic processing contract.