# US 2015/0144481 A1 · Production of BN-Composite Materials > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2015/0144481 A1 - Document ID: US20150144481A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/404,777 - Filed: 2013-05-30 - Published: 2015-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-30 - Assignees: Auckland Uniservices Limited - Applicants: Auckland Uniservices Limited - Inventors: Ron Etzion; Grant Jason McIntosh; James Bernard Metson; Mark Ian Jones - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150144481A1 ## CPC - C25C 3/08: Cell construction, e.g. bottoms, walls, cathodes - C04B 41/009: {characterised by the material treated} - C04B 41/5064: {Boron nitride} - C04B 41/85: with inorganic materials - C04B 41/87: Ceramics - C23C 8/28: more than one element being applied in one step - C23C 8/34: more than one element being applied in more than one step - C23C 8/40: using liquids, e.g. salt baths, liquid suspensions - C23C 8/58: more than one element being applied in more than one step - C23C 8/80: After-treatment - C25C 3/085: {characterised by its non electrically conducting heat insulating parts} - Y10T 428/249957: Inorganic impregnant - C25C: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION, RECOVERY OR REFINING OF METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR - C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The invention comprises a process comprising infiltrating or infiltrating and coating a substrate with a boron-comprising precursor, and contacting the boron-comprising precursor with a nitrogen-comprising reactant to convert the boron-comprising precursor to BN or other a boron-nitrogen reaction product in the surface porosity or in the surface porosity and on the surface of the substrate. Composite materials comprising as one phase a substrate and BN or other a boron-nitrogen reaction product as a further phase, in surface porosity or in surface porosity and on a surface of the substrate, are claimed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process comprising: infiltrating or infiltrating and coating surface porosity of a substrate with a boron-comprising precursor, and contacting the boron-comprising precursor with a nitrogen-comprising reactant to convert the boron-comprising precursor to a boron-nitrogen reaction product in the surface porosity or in the surface porosity and on the surface of the substrate. ### Claim 2 A process comprising: infiltrating or infiltrating and coating surface porosity of a substrate with a boron-comprising precursor, and contacting the boron-comprising precursor with a nitrogen-comprising reactant to convert the boron-comprising precursor to BN in the surface porosity or in the surface porosity and on the surface of the substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is a ceramic material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A process according to claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises a carbide material. ### Claim 5 (canceled) ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A process according to claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises a nitride material. ### Claim 7 (canceled) ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) A process according to claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises a carbide-nitride composite material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A process according to claim 8 wherein the substrate comprises a silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 wherein the boron-comprising precursor comprises a borate. ### Claim 11 (canceled) ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 wherein the boron-comprising precursor is infiltrated together with a nitrogen source. ### Claim 13 (canceled) ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-comprising reactant comprises ammonia or nitrogen. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A process according to claim 14 including contacting the boron-comprising precursor with the nitrogen-comprising reactant by contacting the substrate infiltrated with the boron-comprising precursor, with flowing ammonia or nitrogen gas. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 including contacting the boron-comprising precursor with the nitrogen-comprising reactant at a temperature above 500 C. ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A process according to claim 1 including subsequently annealing the substrate to convert at least some of the boron-nitrogen reaction product to a crystalline state. ### Claim 19 (canceled) ### Claim 20 A composite material comprising a substrate phase comprising BN or other boron-nitrogen reaction product in surface porosity or in surface porosity and on a surface of the substrate phase, reducing the surface porosity of the composite material relative to that of the substrate phase. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A composite material according to claim 20 wherein the substrate is a ceramic material. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) A composite material according to claim 20 wherein the substrate comprises a carbide material. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) A composite material according to claim 21 wherein the substrate comprises SiC (including RBSC), BC, or WC ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) A composite material according to claim 20 wherein the substrate comprises a nitride material. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A composite material according to claim 24 wherein the substrate comprises Si3N4 or ACN. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) A composite material according to claim 20 wherein the substrate comprises a carbide-nitride composite material. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) A composite material according to claim 26 wherein the substrate comprises a silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide material. ### Claim 28 A process comprising: infiltrating or infiltrating and coating surface porosity of substrate material comprising a carbide, nitride, or a carbide-nitride composite with a boron-comprising precursor solution also comprising a nitrogen source, and contacting the boron-comprising precursor with a nitrogen-comprising reactant at elevated temperature to convert the boron-comprising precursor to a boron-nitrogen reaction product comprising BN and/or other boron-nitrogen reaction product(s) in the surface porosity or in the surface porosity and on the surface of the substrate to reduce the surface porosity of the substrate. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) A process according to claim 28 including after said steps of infiltrating or infiltrating and coating with a boron-comprising precursor and contacting with a nitrogen-comprising reactant to convert the boron-comprising precursor to a boron-nitrogen reaction product in the surface porosity or in the surface porosity and on the surface of the substrate, repeating said same steps on the substrate. ### Claim 30 A composite material comprising a carbide, nitride, or a carbide-nitride substrate phase comprising BN and/or other boron-nitrogen reaction product(s) in surface porosity or in surface porosity and on a surface of the substrate phase. ### Claim 31 (depends on 20) An electrolytic reduction cell comprising a sidewall material according to claim 20. ### Claim 32 (canceled) ### Claim 33 (depends on 2) A process according to claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises a carbide material. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) A process according to claim 33 wherein the substrate comprises SiC (including RBSC), BC, or WC. ### Claim 35 (depends on 2) A process according to claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises a nitride material. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) A process according to claim 35 wherein the substrate comprises Si3N4 or AlN. ### Claim 37 (depends on 2) A process according to claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises a carbide-nitride composite material. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) A process according to claim 37 wherein the substrate comprises a silicon nitride bonded silicon carbide material. ### Claim 39 (depends on 2) A process according to claim 2 wherein the boron-comprising precursor comprises a borate. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) A process according to claim 39 wherein the boron-comprising precursor comprises borax or a sodium borate, boric acid (H3BO3), or a boric oxide. ### Claim 41 (depends on 2) A process according to claim 2 wherein the boron-comprising precursor is infiltrated together with a nitrogen source. ### Claim 42 (depends on 2) A process according to claims 2 wherein the nitrogen-comprising reactant comprises ammonia or nitrogen. ### Claim 43 (depends on 41) A process according to claim 41 including contacting the boron-comprising precursor with the nitrogen-comprising reactant by contacting the substrate infiltrated with the boron-comprising precursor, with flowing ammonia or nitrogen gas. ### Claim 44 (depends on 41) A process according to claim 41 including contacting the boron-comprising precursor with the nitrogen-comprising reactant at a temperature above 500 C. ### Claim 45 (depends on 2) A process according to claim 2 including after said steps of infiltrating or infiltrating and coating with a boron-comprising precursor and contacting with a nitrogen comprising reactant to convert the boron-comprising precursor to a boron-nitrogen reaction product in the surface porosity or in the surface porosity and on the surface of the substrate, repeating said same steps on the substrate. ### Claim 46 (depends on 2) A process according to claim 2 including subsequently annealing the substrate to convert at least some of the BN or other boron-nitrogen reaction product to a crystalline state.