An aerospace brazing company uses a high-temperature AMS-4782 nickel-based brazing filler metal (BFM) when vacuum brazing a high-temperature nickel-based honeycomb material onto the substrate to hold it in place for brazing.

David Pye, our resident metallurgy specialist and blogger, put together a list of inspiring quotes about learning that he thought would be enlightening to his readers.

Speaking with greater clarity, why did the subject of the investigation deform or break? Why did some of its material disappear? Why have the strength characteristics become degraded?

Consider the humble paper clip, whose utility highly depends on the properties of the metal developed by heat treatment. It may just be a thin piece of steel wire traditionally bent into a double-oval shape, but no one has invented a better method of holding loose sheets of paper together over the past century. In effect, a paper clip consists of two metal surfaces that are pressed against one another by the elasticity of the metal wire from which the paper clip is made.

On January 5, 2021, the EPA continued its 11th hour rulemaking by releasing its “secret-science” policy, formally known as the “Strengthening Transparency in Pivotal Science Underlying Significant Regulatory Actions and Influential Scientific Information” rule. Pending for several years, the first-draft rule generated over 600,000 public comments, among the most in recent EPA history. The final rule requires researchers and others to disclose the raw data and other information and methodologies used to justify policymaking. The rule applies not only to significant regulatory actions but also to “influential scientific information” released. Business groups during the Obama administration had argued that the EPA used data not revealed to the public when creating significant new regulations impacting industry.

After six months of negotiations, Washington has come to agreement and passed a 5,593-page bill providing COVID relief to businesses, renewing and expanding the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program loans while allowing for a second PPP draw, permitting the deduction of PPP expenses and extending more tax relief to employers. Reversing the IRS decision and allowing PPP loan recipients to deduct their expenses was a top priority for businesses facing a surprise tax penalty of up to 37%.

A recent decision by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the second highest appellate court for patent cases in the United States, demonstrates the difference between inventorship and ownership ... again.

This is the sixth and final part of David Pye's series on the heat treatment of small arms, guns and rifle barrels. Part 5 can be found here.

The U.S. Congress is moving a bill extending government spending for one more week to prevent a federal government shutdown until Friday, December 18 at 11:59 p.m. (ET). Lawmakers hope the one-week delay will allow time to negotiate a COVID-19 relief package and a broader $1.4 trillion federal government-spending measure. 

As I plug away at writing the materials-engineering-informed failure-analysis book that has been on and off my “Get it Done!” list since 2003, I have at last come to the part about writing the report.