RE: Exhaust manifolds (AGAIN?!)

[healey@lerc.nasa.gov (jim healey)]

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>>>manifold from Dialynx in the UK. It is made from a material called
>>>Iconel(sp?). Not sure what this stuff is. In a photo, it looks to be 
>highly

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>>Inconel (generic term for a rather large series) is a nickel based
>>superalloy - it has very good high temp properties(>1200F) when compared
>>to stainless steel - the largest market for most of the alloys is in
>>aircraft turbine engines - very good resistance to oxidation to ~2000F
>>

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>Thanks for the info Jim. How is the material formed, cast, forged, welded 
>sections, machined?
> -
>Dave Lawson  dlawson@ball.com

Sorry for the delay,  most of the parts I've heard of are precision cast
with some machining and a strengthening heat treatment, but the
handbooks have no problems with welding.  I'm sure there's alot of 
expertise out there to help maximize the strength, and it should be 
easy enough to test the concept given a decent machine shop and 
lab/test cell. 

Or you just build one and hope for the best :-)  .  Since it has
been done already, the prototype should provide plenty of 
test data.

jim h
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