Hot pressing of ceramic materials
AssigneeUnited Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
InventorFrank Rigby
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Abstract
The hot pressing of ceramic material in dies forming a column, each die being shaped to interfit and cooperate with adjacent dies to cause densification of ceramic material within the dies when pressure is applied to the column. The column of dies is passed intermittently through a fixed, heated zone and pressure is applied to the column intermittently to move the dies through the heated zone and, as a separate step, to compress the column and cause densification of ceramic material in the dies.
Claims11
Apparatus for hot pressing ceramic material comprising:
- a fixed heated zone,
- a column of interfitting dies within the heated zone, each die defining at least one bore for containing the ceramic material to be hot-pressed and being adapted to align itself and cooperate under pressure with adjacent dies directly to cause densification of ceramic material within the bores,
- means for applying intermittent pressure to the column of dies to cause said densification by movement of the dies relative to each other to increase the extent of interfitting of adjacent dies
- and further means for passing the dies intermittently through the heated zone.
A method of hot pressing ceramic material in which a column of interfitting dies loaded with ceramic material to be hot pressed is passed intermittently through a fixed heated zone and intermittent pressure is applied to the column of dies to increase the extent of interfitting and effect contraction of the column by movement of the dies relative to and in alignment with each other and cause densification of the ceramic material within the dies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.