Appeal No. 1997-0538 Application No. 08/262,168 Appellants argue that Kim does not teach the claimed step of “determining the alpha-transus temperature of the gamma titanium aluminide alloy piece”. See, e.g., Brief, page 14, and Reply Brief, pages 5 and 6. We disagree. We find that Kim clearly states (column 3, lines 38-42) that: The alpha-transus temperature (T ) ranges from " about 1340° to about 1400° C., depending on the alloy composition. T can be determined with " sufficient accuracy by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and metallographic examinations. We also find that to employ temperature conditions at or below the alpha-transus temperature of a titanium aluminide alloy as required by Kim, such alpha-transus temperature must necessarily be determined beforehand. Appellants argue that Kim does not teach consolidation of the titanium aluminide alloy to reduce porosity. See, e.g., Brief, page 14. As indicated supra, however, Kim discloses shaping the titanium aluminide alloy at the claimed consolidation temperature. We find that the shaping of the titanium aluminide alloy at the claimed temperature clearly causes the formation of a compact mass, reducing its original 13Page: Previous 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 NextLast modified: November 3, 2007