US4961902A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of manufacturing a ceramic/metal or ceramic/ceramic composite article
Assignee: Eltech Systems Corp
•
Filing: 1987-01-06
•
Granted: 1990-10-09
•
Expires: 2007-01-06
Abstract
Abstract A method for manufacturing ceramic/metal or ceramic/ceramic composite articles is disclosed. The articles can be useful for the production of aluminum in fused salt electrolysis cells, as armour plates for the protection against projectiles, cutting tools, or in abrasion resistance applications. The temperature slope of the process if optimized such that one of the reactants in the manufacturing proceeds through peritectic decomposition at a heating rate of low temperature increase for desirably uniform temperature distribution over the reaction mixture. Then the temperature increase is greatly elevated to obtain a reaction sintering condition for avoiding grain growth of undesired reaction products. Elevated temperature reaction sintering conditions can be maintained to decompose undesired components before they are entrapped by the reaction product.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas M. Clere
- 👤 Gholamreza J. Abbaschian
- 👤 Douglas J. Wheeler
- 👤 Albert L. Barnes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 22:47
CPC Classifications
C; C04; C04B; C04B35/00; C04B35/515; C04B35/58; C04B35/5805; C04B35/58064; C04B35/58071; C04B35/58078; C04B35/622; C04B35/64; C04B35/645; C04B35/65; C04B35/71; C04B35/78; C04B35/80; C22; C22C; C22C1/00; C22C1/04; C22C1/05; C22C1/051; C22C1/053; C22C29/00; C22C29/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
228 words
A method of manufacturing a composite article comprising a ceramic or metal product of a second metal and a ceramic product of a first metal, wherein the first metal is one or more of the metals of Group IVb, Vb or VIb of the periodic table, said method being initiated with a particulate mixture of reactants that includes a second metal reactant that in the manufacture goes through peritectic decomposition, and the sintering, which method comprises the steps of: providing a mixture of solid, particulate reactants in finely divided form; heating said mixture up to a first temperature that is below peritectic decomposition temperature, at a moderate rate of increasing temperature; reducing said moderate rate of increasing temperature and continuing heating above said first temperature, but below peritectic decomposition temperature at a lowest rate of increasing temperature of less than 10° C. per minute; maintaining said lowest rate of increasing temperature of less than 10° C. per minute at least substantially through peritectic decomposition of said second metal reactant; greatly elevating the rate of temperature increase following said lowest rate to a most substantial rate of increasing temperature of above 20° C. per minute; maintaining said most substantial rate of increasing temperature of above 20° C. per minute to attain a maximum reaction sintering temperature; and cooling the resulting reaction product resulting from said maximum reaction sintering temperature.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
228 words
A method of manufacturing a composite article comprising a ceramic or metal product of a second metal and a ceramic product of a first metal, wherein the first metal is one or more of the metals of Group IVb, Vb or VIb of the periodic table, said method being initiated with a particulate mixture of reactants that includes a second metal reactant that in the manufacture goes through peritectic decomposition, and the sintering, which method comprises the steps of: providing a mixture of solid, particulate reactants in finely divided form; heating said mixture up to a first temperature that is below peritectic decomposition temperature, at a moderate rate of increasing temperature; reducing said moderate rate of increasing temperature and continuing heating above said first temperature, but below peritectic decomposition temperature at a lowest rate of increasing temperature of less than 10° C. per minute; maintaining said lowest rate of increasing temperature of less than 10° C. per minute at least substantially through peritectic decomposition of said second metal reactant; greatly elevating the rate of temperature increase following said lowest rate to a most substantial rate of increasing temperature of above 20° C. per minute; maintaining said most substantial rate of increasing temperature of above 20° C. per minute to attain a maximum reaction sintering temperature; and cooling the resulting reaction product resulting from said maximum reaction sintering temperature.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said manufacturing yields a ceramic/metal composite article and uses reactants of first metal in elemental or hydride form with a boride of said second metal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said heating at a moderate rate of increasing temperature is at a rate greater than 10° C. but less than about 100° C. per minute and said first temperature is 50°-600° C. below the peritectic decomposition temperature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said heating at a lowest rate of increasing temperature is at a rate of less than 10° C. per minute but above about 0.1° C. per minute.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1, wherein reducing said moderate rate of increasing temperature to said lowest rate of increasing temperature reduces the temperature rate in a ratio of at least 2:1.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said lowest rate of increasing temperature is maintained completely through peritectic decomposition.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said moderate rate of increasing temperature is at a rate of at least about 15° C. per minute and said lowest rate of increasing temperature is at a rate of less than 8° C. per minute.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said most substantial rate of increasing temperature is within the range from about 30° C. to about 200° C. per minute.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1, wherein greatly elevating said lowest rate of increasing temperature up to said most substantial rate of increasing temperature increases the temperature rate in a ratio of at least about 5:1.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said most substantial rate of increasing temperature attains a maximum reaction sintering temperature below the melting point of said first metal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said maximum reaction sintering temperature is maintained for a heat soak period before cooling of the reaction product.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, characterized by withdrawing reaction heat during said peritectic decomposition.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1, characterized by establishing said mixture under elevated pressure during heating of the mixture up to a first temperature.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 13, wherein greatly elevated pressure is provided following peritectic decomposition and for reaction sintering.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 14, wherein said pressure is mechanical pressure and the heating is carried out in a furnace under inert atmosphere or vacuum.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said mixture of reactants is calcined prior to heating to said first temperature.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said mixture of reactants is pressed into shape prior to said heating.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said mixture of reactants is diluted with material in one or more of powder or fiber form and the diluent is selected from the group consisting of ceramic product, other ceramic substance, graphite, metal and mixtures thereof.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
145 words
In the method of manufacturing an article wherein a reactant in the reaction mixture for the manufacture proceeds through peritectic decomposition and the resulting product of the peritectic decomposition is proceeded through reaction sintering for preparing the article, the improvement comprising: establishing the reaction mixture at elevated temperature and maintaining elevated temperature for said mixture at least substantially through said peritectic decomposition, but at a low rate of increasing temperature of less than 8° C. per minute; greatly elevating the rate of temperature increase following said low rate of less than 8° C. per minute to a most substantial rate of increasing temperature of greater than about 30° C. per minute; maintaining said most substantial rate of increasing temperature of greater than about 30° C. per minute to attain a maximum reaction sintering temperature; and cooling reaction product resulting from said maximum reaction sintering temperature.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
145 words
In the method of manufacturing an article wherein a reactant in the reaction mixture for the manufacture proceeds through peritectic decomposition and the resulting product of the peritectic decomposition is proceeded through reaction sintering for preparing the article, the improvement comprising: establishing the reaction mixture at elevated temperature and maintaining elevated temperature for said mixture at least substantially through said peritectic decomposition, but at a low rate of increasing temperature of less than 8° C. per minute; greatly elevating the rate of temperature increase following said low rate of less than 8° C. per minute to a most substantial rate of increasing temperature of greater than about 30° C. per minute; maintaining said most substantial rate of increasing temperature of greater than about 30° C. per minute to attain a maximum reaction sintering temperature; and cooling reaction product resulting from said maximum reaction sintering temperature.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said low rate of increasing temperature is at a rate above about 0.1° C. per minute.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said most substantial rate of increasing temperature is within the range of from about 30° C. to about 200° C. per minute.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said temperature elevation from said low rate to said most substantial rate increases the temperature rate in a ratio of at least about 5:1.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 19, wherein said temperature elevation from said low rate to said most substantial rate increases the temperature rate in a ratio of as great as about 30.1.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said mixture of solid, particulate reactants comprises AlB 2 with one or more of TiH 2 or Ti, and optionally including AlB 12 , the resulting reaction product being an intimate mixture of TiB 2 and aluminum, the TiB 2 being present as interconnected grains of less than one micrometer, the aluminum essentially filling the pores between said grains.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method of claim 24, wherein there is provided a mixture of solid, particulate reactants comprising AlB 2 , AlB 12 and TiH 2 or Ti, the ratio of AlB 2 to AlB 12 being variable over the cross-section of the starting mixture and the ratio of TiB 2 :Al varying over the cross-section of the reaction product.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2084349A
Cited
US3937619A
Cited
US4266977A
Cited
US4282195A
Cited
US4093524A
Cited
JPS5589404A
Cited
US4246027A
Cited
US4419130A
Cited
US4514268A
Cited
US4595545A
Cited
US4599320A
Cited
US4492670A
Cited
US4544524A
Cited
US4585618A
Cited
EP0164830A2
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-10-08 | 1994-04-09 | 1994-10-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-10-08 | 1998-04-09 | 1998-10-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-10-08 | 2002-04-09 | 2002-10-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |