Method and apparatus for treating at least one ceramic object in an alkali hydroxide melt
AssigneeLicentia Patent-Verwaltungs-G.m.b.H.
InventorsAugust F. Bogenschutz, Josef L. Jostan, Robert Ostwald
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for treating ceramic objects in alkali hydroxide melts for the purpose of cleaning and roughening them for a subsequent metallization. The apparatus permits various types of ceramics to be subjected to an etching treatment which can be predetermined and is easily reproducible with respect to the treatment temperature and time and the constant composition of the alkali hydroxide melt.
Claims20
An apparatus for treating at least one ceramic object in an alkali hydroxide melt, the apparatus comprising:
- a heatable melting crucible to contain the alkali hydroxide melt, said crucible having an upwardly disposed opening through which the at least one ceramic object is immersed into the alkali hydroxide melt;
- a heatable housing having a preheating chamber therein, said preheating chamber being disposed above said opening of said melting crucible and communicating with said melting crucible in a substantially gas-tight manner, said heatable housing having an upper end with an opening;
- a holder for the at least one ceramic object, said holder being movable through said opening of said heatable housing;
- cover for said opening of said heatable housing;
- a nozzle arrangement, above the alkali hydroxide melt in the crucible, through which a mixture of fluids can be fed to the surface of the alkali hydroxide melt;
- and
- a controllable immersion and extraction means connected to said holder for selectively stopping said holder above said preheating chamber, within said preheating chamber, and within the alkali hydroxide melt in the crucible.
An apparatus for treating at least one ceramic object in an alkali hydroxide melt, the apparatus comprising:
- a heatable melting crucible to contain the alkali hydroxide melt, said crucible having an upwardly disposed opening through which the at least one ceramic object is immersed into the alkali hydroxide melt;
- a heatable housing having a preheating chamber therein, said preheating chamber being disposed above said opening of said melting crucible and communicating with said melting crucible in a substantially gas-tight manner, said heatable housing having an upper end with an opening;
- a holder for the at least one ceramic object, said holder being movable through said opening of said heatable housing;
- a cover for said opening of said heatable housing;
- a nozzle arrangement, above the alkali hydroxide melt in the crucible, through which a mixture of gas and vapor can be fed to the surface of the alkali hydroxide melt;
- and
- a controllable immersion and extraction means connected to said holder for selectively stopping said holder above said preheating chamber, within said preheating chamber, and within the alkali hydroxide melt in the crucible.
A method for treating ceramic objects in an apparatus which includes a heatable crucible that contains an alkali hydroxide melt, a heatable housing that is connected in a substantially gas-tight manner to the crucible to provide a preheating chamber above the melt, the heatable housing having an opening and a removable cover for the opening, and a nozzle arrangement disposed in the heatable housing, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) continuously maintaining the water content of the melt at a predetermined constant value while simultaneously shielding the melt from carbon dioxide by flooding the preheating chamber with a heated mixture of inert gas that is introduced via the nozzle arrangement at a predetermined constant rate and water vapor that is introduced via the nozzle arrangement at a predetermined constant rate;
- (b) placing a ceramic object on a holder;
- (c) moving the holder into the preheating chamber;
- (d) keeping the holder in the preheating chamber for a predetermined preheating period;
- (e) moving the holder into the crucible to expose the ceramic object to the melt;
- (f) keeping the holder in the crucible for a predetermined etching period;
- (g) removing the holder from the apparatus;
- (h) replacing the ceramic object on the holder with another ceramic object;
- and
- (i) repeating steps (c) through (g).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.