IP Grab of the Week – Is the National Chiao Tung University Getting Into the Golf Business?

Yesterday a pending patent application published that caught my eye. It was US Publication No. 20070084528 titled “Low-Density High-Toughness Alloy and the Fabrication Method Thereof,” which is assigned to the National Chiao Tung University.

The invention is described as a low-density high-toughness alloy that can be used in the manufacturing of golf club heads that obtain superior elongation, strength, damping capacity, and corrosion resistance even without any heat treatment, or any hot/cold working, such as forging and rolling. Therefore, golf club heads made of this new alloy should have reduced fabrication costs.

Now, for all the enginerds (I mean engineers) out there… The alloy consists essentially of: (by weight percent), 23%-33% manganese, 8.1%-9.8% aluminum, 3%-7.8% chromium, 0.6%-1.2% carbon, 0.1%-0.24% silicon, and the balance of iron.

This patent application illustrates the worldwide economic impact of the game of golf. Here, researchers associated with a Taiwanese university are developing new alloys for the golf industry. Amazing.

David Dawsey – The Hybrid Golf Patent Attorney (part engineer… part attorney)

PS – the application is not a real page turner unless you just love reading about alloys.