US 5,312,787 A · Ceramics composite material and method of producing the same

Abstract

A ceramics composite material containing crystallized glass as the matrix and fibers or whiskers of ceramics as a reinforcement material, is obtained by melting original glass to form crystallized glass, compounding the same with fibers or whiskers of oxide ceramics and thereafter crystallizing the original glass. This ceramics composite material does not form any voids and can easily contain at least 50 volume percent of the reinforcement material, whereby a good mechanical strength and fracture toughness are achieved. In the compounding step, the content of the reinforcement can be further increased by forcing out any excess part of the original glass from the reinforcement material by applying pressure to a substance obtained by mixing the original glass with the reinforcement. Further, the ceramics composite material can be efficiently formed into a desired configuration by heating because the original glass flows viscously.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method of producing a ceramic composite material having a ceramic reinforcing material embedded in a crystallized glass matrix, comprising the steps of:

(a) introducing not yet crystallized original glass into interstices of oxide ceramic reinforcing material, thereby using initially an excess volume of original glass compared to a volume of original glass needed to fill said interstices when said ceramic oxide reinforcing material is in a compressed state, thereby forming a preliminary composite material,
(b) heating said preliminary composite material to a temperature exceeding the softening temperature of said original glass and not more than the softening temperature of said oxide ceramic reinforcing material, whereby said original glass is softened,
(c) pressurizing said preliminary composite material sufficiently for reducing the volume of said interstices, whereby said pressurizing removes an excess of said original glass from said interstices, and
(d) crystallizing said original glass remaining in said interstices to form said ceramic composite material in which said glass matrix is crystallized glass, so that the amount of oxide ceramic reinforcing material is at least 70 vol. % and the amount of crystallized matrix material is at most 30% by vol.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ceramics composite material and method of producing the same

Life of this patent

Ceramics composite material and method of producing the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12