Ceramic precursor mixture and technique for converting the same to ceramic
AssigneeThe Washington Technology Center
InventorsIlhan A. Aksay, Chan Han, Gary D. Maupin, Corrie B. Martin, Randal P. Kurosky, Gregory C. Stangle
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Abstract
Ceramic precursor mixtures containing a metal cation, a carbohydrate, and an anion capable of participating in an anionic oxidation-reduction reaction with the carbohydrate for continuous or batchwise drying and pyrolyzing to provide ceramic powders.
Claims21
A process for producing particles of ceramic material, the process comprising the steps:
- (a) forming droplets of a ceramic precursor mixture containing a metal cation, a carbohydrate, a solvent, and an anion capable of participating in an anionic oxidation-reduction reaction with the carbohydrate;
- (b) removing substantially all of the solvent from the droplets of the ceramic precursor mixture to form particles comprising the metal cation, the anion, and the carbohydrate and;
- (c) thermally initiating an anionic oxidation-reduction reaction between the anion and the carbohydrate under conditions which permit the anion and the carbohydrate to react in an explosive manner.
A ceramic precursor mixture capable of being converted into a ceramic by thermal energy, the mixture comprising:
- (a) a metal nitrate capable of being converted to a metal oxide by thermal energy;
- and
- (b) sucrose, the nitrate ion of the metal nitrate and the sucrose participating in an anionic oxidation-reduction reaction, the ceramic precursor mixture having a sucrose to nitrate ion molar ratio ranging from about 0.1 to about 0.5.
A process for producing particles of ceramic material, the process comprising the steps:
- (a) forming droplets of a ceramic precursor mixture containing a metal cation, a carbohydrate, a solvent, and an anion capable of participating in an anionic oxidation-reduction reaction with the carbohydrate;
- (b) removing substantially all of the solvent from the droplets of the ceramic precursor mixture to form particles comprising the metal cation, the anion, and the carbohydrate;
- (c) thermally initiating an anionic oxidation-reduction reaction between the anion and the carbohydrate;
- and
- (d) converting the metal salt to ceramic material, the thermal initiating step and converting step being substantially completed in about 2.0 seconds or less.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.