Containment for hot isostatic pressing and vacuum degassing apparatus

Abstract

A containment for use in hot Isostatic pressing, the containment comprising a body formed from sheet material and fused together along its longitudinal length using a backing strip on the outside of body. Also a containment with a body and top and bottom caps diffusion bonded upon hot isostatic pressing, a containment with a gas purge inlet and outlet and an apparatus for vacuum degassing are disclosed.

1 . A containment for use in hot Isostatic pressing, the containment comprising a body formed from sheet material and fused together along its longitudinal length using a backing strip on the outside of body. 
     
     
         2 . A containment according to  claim 1 , wherein the containment comprises at least one vent penetrating into a void between the containment body and the backing strip. 
     
     
         3 . A containment according to  claim 1  further comprising at least one gas purge inlet and at least one gas purge outlet. 
     
     
         4 . A containment according to any of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the vent comprises at least one through hole from the outside of the containment body into the void between the containment body and the backing strip. 
     
     
         5 . A containment according to  claim 4 , wherein the at least one through hole has a diameter of at least two millimetres. 
     
     
         6 . A containment according to  claim 4  or  claim 5 , wherein the at least one through hole comprises two through holes. 
     
     
         7 . A containment for use in hot Isostatic pressing, the containment comprising a body, a top cap and a bottom cap, wherein the top cap and the bottom cap are diffusion bonded to the body during hot Isostatic pressing. 
     
     
         8 . A containment for use in hot Isostatic pressing, the containment comprising a body sealed at both ends, at least one gas purge inlet defining a gas passage from outside of the containment to inside of the containment and at least one gas evacuation outlet defining a gas passage from outside of the containment to inside of the containment, wherein the at least one gas purge inlet and at least one gas evacuation outlet define a gas passage through the containment which extends from the gas purge inlet to the gas evacuation outlet. 
     
     
         9 . A containment according to  claim 8 , wherein each the at least one gas purge inlets and the at least one gas evacuation outlets are defined by a tube providing passage from inside of the containment to outside of the containment and wherein the tube is reinforced by an internal structure configured to permit gas to pass through the tube and to prevent powder material from passing through the tube. 
     
     
         10 . A containment as described with reference to, and/or as shown in,  FIGS. 1 to 6 . 
     
     
         11 . Apparatus for vacuum degassing a metal powder within a containment, the apparatus comprising an oven for heating the metal powder, a vacuum pump for evacuating gas from the metal powder within the containment and a gas source for purging the metal powder within the containment, wherein purging and evacuation of the metal powder within the containment is controlled by a plurality of valves operable to control provision of gas from the gas source to the containment and provision of a vacuum from the vacuum pump to the containment.