Thin flexible sintered structures
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsThomas D. Ketcham, Wayne B. Sanderson, deceased, Dell J. St. Julien, Kathleen A. Wexell
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Abstract
Thin inorganic sintered structures having strength and flexibility sufficient to permit bending without breakage in at least one direction to a radius of curvature of less than 20 centimeters, methods for making them, and products incorporating them, are described. Preferred sintered ceramic structures according to the invention can comprise zirconias, titanias, aluminas, silicas, rare earth metal oxides, alkaline oxides, alkaline earth metal oxides and first, second, and third transition series metal oxides and combinations thereof and therebetween. Sintered metal structures can also be provided.
Claims22
An inorganic sintered structure comprising at least one thin, flexible segment, said segment having a thickness not exceeding about 45 .mu.m, an aspect ratio of segment length to segment thickness of at least about 2:1, and strength and flexibility sufficient to permit segment bending without breakage in at least one direction to an effective radius of curvature of less than 20 centimeters.
A sintered ceramic structure consisting of a flexible self-supporting ceramic sheet or tape having a thickness not exceeding about 45 .mu.m and sufficient strength and flexibility to permit structural bending without breakage in at least one direction to an effective radius of curvature of less than 5 centimeters.
A thin flexible sintered structure having a flexibility at least sufficient to permit bending in one or more directions to a radius of curvature of less than 20 centimeters without breakage, the sintered structure comprising a ceramic alloy comprising a zirconia (hafnia) alloy and, optionally, a hard refractory ceramic, the ceramic alloy containing at least 5 volume percent of the zirconia (hafnia) alloy, wherein the zirconia (hafnia) alloy consists essentially of:
- 35-99.75 mole % of one or more oxides selected from the group consisting of zirconia, hafnia, and zirconia-hafnia solid solution, and
- 0.25-45 mole % of additives selected from the following groups:
- 5-45 mole % of titania and/or tin oxide,
- 0.25-20 mole % total of one or more oxide compounds selected in the indicated proportions from the groups consisting of (i) 0-10 mole % MM'O.sub.4+/-.delta. wherein M' is selected from the group consisting of V, Nb, and Ta, M is selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Ti, Sn, Sc, Y, La, and the rare earth metals, and .delta. is 0-1;
- (ii) 0-6 mole % M"M'"O.sub.4+/-.delta. wherein M'" is W and/or Mo, M" is selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Ti, Sn, Sc, Y, La, and rare earth metals, and .delta. is 0-1;
- and (iii) 0-4 mole % MoO.sub.3 and/or WO.sub.3 ;
- and
- said alloy optionally additionally comprising 0-10 mole % of oxides of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Mg, Ca, Sc, Y, La, and the rare earth metals, and 0-20 mole % of cerium oxide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.