Vacuum metallizing and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF APPLYING METAL COATINGS TO SURFACES WHEREIN THE METAL TO BE DEPOSITED THEREON IS EVAPORATED AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE IN A VAXUUM, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH CONSISTS IN HEATING IN THE VACCUM A CARBON CORE HAVING A COATING THEREON OF COMPOSITE METAL AND METAL CARBIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ZIRCONIUM CARBIDE WITH FREE ZIRCONIUM METAL AND OF HAFNIUMCARBIDE WITH FREE HAFNIUM METAL AND OF MIXED CARBIDES OF ZIRCONIUM AND HAFNIUM WITH MIXED ZIRCONIUM AND HAFNIUM FREE METAL, SAID COATING HAVING THE SELECTED CARBIDE AT THE CARBON CORE AND THE SELECTED FREE METAL AT THE EXTERIOR SURFACE, SAID HEATING BEING TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE METAL TO BE DEPOSITED, BRINGING THE METAL TO BE DEPOSITED INTO CONTACT WITH THE SAID SELECTED METAL WHEREBY THE MOLTEN METAL TO BE DEPOSITED WETS AND SPREADS UPON THE SELECTED FREE METAL AND IS EVAPORATED FROM A FILM EXTENDING OVER SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF SAID COATING, AND PREVENTING CONTACT WITH THE CARBON CORE BY THE METAL TO BE DEPOSITED THROUGH MAINTAINING THE COATING OF THE SELECTED METAL CARBIDE UPON THE CARBON CORE.