Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
196 words
A method of bonding a ceramic composite body to a second body comprising producing a ceramic composite body by: selecting a parent metal; heating said parent metal in a substantially inert atmosphere to a temperature above its melting point to permit infiltration into and reaction of molten parent metal with a mass comprising boron carbide and at least one material selected from the group consisting of a boron-containing material and a carbon-containing material and to permit reaction of molten parent metal with said mass to form at least one parent metal boron-containing compound; continuing said infiltration and reaction for a time sufficient to produce said ceramic composite body; providing excess metal on at least a portion of at least one surface of said ceramic composite body to permit bonding of said ceramic composite body to a second body; contacting a second body with at least a portion of at least one surface of said excess metal; heating the two bodies at a temperature which is at least about the melting point of the excess metal; and maintaining said temperature for a time sufficient to form a bond between said ceramic composite body and said second body.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
196 words
A method of bonding a ceramic composite body to a second body comprising producing a ceramic composite body by: selecting a parent metal; heating said parent metal in a substantially inert atmosphere to a temperature above its melting point to permit infiltration into and reaction of molten parent metal with a mass comprising boron carbide and at least one material selected from the group consisting of a boron-containing material and a carbon-containing material and to permit reaction of molten parent metal with said mass to form at least one parent metal boron-containing compound; continuing said infiltration and reaction for a time sufficient to produce said ceramic composite body; providing excess metal on at least a portion of at least one surface of said ceramic composite body to permit bonding of said ceramic composite body to a second body; contacting a second body with at least a portion of at least one surface of said excess metal; heating the two bodies at a temperature which is at least about the melting point of the excess metal; and maintaining said temperature for a time sufficient to form a bond between said ceramic composite body and said second body.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of producing a self-supporting macrocomposite body comprising: reactively infiltrating a mass comprising boron carbide and a material selected from the group consisting of a boron-containing material and carbon-containing material with a molten parent metal, said reactive infiltration occurring in a substantially inert atmosphere to result in a reaction of said mass with said parent metal to form at least one parent metal boron-containing compound in a ceramic composite body; and disposing at least one metal layer on at least a portion of at least one surface of said ceramic composite body, thereby forming a self-supporting macrocomposite body.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
99 words
A method of producing a self-supporting macrocomposite body comprising: reactively infiltrating a mass comprising boron carbide and a material selected from the group consisting of a boron-containing material and carbon-containing material with a molten parent metal, said reactive infiltration occurring in a substantially inert atmosphere to result in a reaction of said mass with said parent metal to form at least one parent metal boron-containing compound in a ceramic composite body; and disposing at least one metal layer on at least a portion of at least one surface of said ceramic composite body, thereby forming a self-supporting macrocomposite body.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
160 words
A method of producing a self-supporting macrocomposite body comprising: selecting a parent metal; heating said parent metal in a substantially inert atmosphere to a temperature above its melting point to permit infiltration of molten parent metal into a mass comprising boron nitride and to permit reaction of molten parent metal with said mass, thereby forming at least one boron-containing compound; continuing said infiltration reaction for a time sufficient to produce a self-supporting ceramic composite body comprising at least one parent metal boron-containing compound; contacting at least a portion of at least one surface of said self-supporting ceramic composite body with at least one metal body; heating at least said at least one metal body to a temperature at least about the melting point of said at least one metal body; and maintaining said temperature for a time sufficient to form a bond between said ceramic composite body and said at least one metal body, thereby producing a self-supporting macrocomposite body.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
160 words
A method of producing a self-supporting macrocomposite body comprising: selecting a parent metal; heating said parent metal in a substantially inert atmosphere to a temperature above its melting point to permit infiltration of molten parent metal into a mass comprising boron nitride and to permit reaction of molten parent metal with said mass, thereby forming at least one boron-containing compound; continuing said infiltration reaction for a time sufficient to produce a self-supporting ceramic composite body comprising at least one parent metal boron-containing compound; contacting at least a portion of at least one surface of said self-supporting ceramic composite body with at least one metal body; heating at least said at least one metal body to a temperature at least about the melting point of said at least one metal body; and maintaining said temperature for a time sufficient to form a bond between said ceramic composite body and said at least one metal body, thereby producing a self-supporting macrocomposite body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 3, further comprising at said temperature contacting said metal body to another body and maintaining said contacting for a time sufficient to bond said metal body to said another body.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said parent metal comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of Al, Zr, Ti, Si, Hf, La, Fe, Ca, V, Nb, Mg, Cr, and Be.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 2, wherein said parent metal comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of Al, Zr, Ti, Si, Hf, La, Fe, Ca, V, Nb, Mg, Cr, and Be.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method according to claim 3, wherein said parent metal comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of Al, Zr, Ti, Si, Hf, La, Fe, Ca, V, Nb, Mg, Cr, and Be.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method according to claim 6, wherein said parent metal comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of Zr, Ti, and Hf.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method according to claim 2, wherein said parent metal reactively infiltrates a preform.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 9, further comprising providing a filler material in said preform.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 2, wherein said parent metal comprises an alloy of titanium and zirconium.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method according to claim 2, wherein said filler material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of fibers, whiskers, particulates, powders, rods, wires, cloth, plates, platelets, foams, solid spheres and hollow spheres.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method according to claim 2, wherein said ceramic composite body comprises at least one metallic constituent of the parent metal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said second body comprises a body selected from the group consisting of a ceramic body, a metal body and a composite body.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said second body comprises a body made by a similar technique as said ceramic composite body.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said second body comprises a metal body having a substantially similar chemical composition to said excess metal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 1, wherein said second body comprises a metal body having a substantially different chemical composition from said excess metal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 2, further comprising bonding said macrocomposite body to another body.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 2, wherein said disposing comprises at least one method selected from the group consisting of sputtering, depositing by chemical vapor deposition and coating a particulate slurry.