Method of making self-supporting ceramic materials and materials made thereby

A method for producing a self-supporting ceramic body, said body being produced from an oxidation reaction between a molten parent metal and a vapor phase oxidant and said body being adapted or fabricated for use as an article of commerce, the method comprising:

• (a) applying a layer of dopant material to at least a portion of a surface of a parent metal to provide thereon a dopant-carrying surface;
• (b) heating said parent metal to a temperature from about 850.degree. C. to about 1450.degree. C. to form a body of molten parent metal, and at said temperature (i) reacting the molten parent metal by initially contacting said dopant-carrying surface thereof with said vapor-phase oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product and (ii) maintaining at least a portion of said oxidation reaction product in contact with and extending between said body of molten metal and said oxidant, to draw molten metal therethrough towards the oxidant such that fresh oxidation reaction product continues to form at an interface between the oxidant and previously formed oxidation reaction product;
• and
• (c) continuing said reaction for a time sufficient to grow said oxidation reaction product through and beyond the applied layer of dopant material, thereby resulting in said ceramic body which consists essentially of (i) the oxidation reaction product of said parent metal with said vapor-phase oxidant and at least one non-oxidized constituent of the parent metal thereby producing said ceramic body.

A method for producing a self-supporting ceramic body, said body being produced from an oxidation reaction between a molten parent metal and a vapor-phase oxidant and said body being adapted or fabricated for use as an article of commerce, the method comprising:

• (a) applying a layer of dopant material to at least a portion of a surface of a parent metal to provide thereon a dopant-carrying surface;
• (b) heating said parent metal to a temperature above its melting point but below the melting point of its oxidation reaction product to form a body of molten parent metal, and at said temperature (i) reacting the molten parent metal by initially contacting said dopant-carrying surface thereof with said vapor-phase oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product and (ii) maintaining at least a portion of said oxidation reaction product in contact with and extending between said body of molten metal and said oxidant, to draw molten metal therethrough towards the oxidant such that fresh oxidation reaction product continues to form at an interface between the oxidant and previously formed oxidation reaction product;
• and
• (c) continuing said reaction for a time sufficient to grow said oxidation reaction product through and beyond the applied layer of dopant material, thereby resulting in said ceramic body which consists essentially of the oxidation reaction product of said parent metal with said vapor-phase oxidant.

The method for producing a self-supporting ceramic body, said body being produced from an oxidation reaction between a molten parent metal and a vapor-phase oxidant and said body being adapted or fabricated for use as an article of commerce, the method comprising:

• (a) applying a layer of dopant material to at least a portion of a surface of a parent metal to provide thereon a dopant-carrying surface;
• (b) heating said parent metal to a temperature above its melting point but below the melting point of its oxidation reaction product to form a body of molten parent metal, and at said temperature (i) reacting the molten parent metal by initially contacting said dopant-carrying surface thereof with said vapor-phase oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product and (ii) maintaining at least a portion of said oxidation reaction product in contact with and extending between said body of molten metal and said oxidant, to draw molten metal therethrough towards the oxidant such that fresh oxidation reaction product continues to form at an interface between the oxidant and previously formed oxidation reaction product;
• and
• (c) continuing said reaction for a time sufficient to grow said oxidation reaction product through and beyond the applied layer of dopant material, thereby resulting in said ceramic body which consists essentially of (i) the oxidation reaction product of said parent metal with said vapor-phase oxidant, (ii) at least one non-oxidized constituent of the parent metal, and (iii) at least one dopant constituent.