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US 5,441,682 AGranted
Method of forming a ceramic composite
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsAnna L. Baker, Darryl F. Garrigus
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming a ceramic composite including glass bonded microparticles. The process includes the steps of: felting a slurry of microparticles to form a mat; drying the mat; infusing a sol-gel binder into the mat; gelling the binder; and curing the binder.
Claims16
A method for making a ceramic composite, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a slurry of ceramic components in a liquid, the components including microparticles in the size range between about 5-200 micrometers and selected from the group consisting of hollow microballoons, diatoms, solid microparticles and mixtures thereof;
- (b) felting a wet mat of the ceramic components from the slurry;
- (c) drying the wet mat;
- (d) infusing a glass-forming ceramic sol-gel binder into the dry mat;
- (e) gelling and curing the binder at a temperature of no more than about 600.degree. F. to form a glass to hold the felted ceramic components in a rigid, porous, low-density, ceramic form;
- (f) optionally, infusing additional binder into the mat;
- and
- (g) optionally, gelling and curing the subsequent infusions of binder to form said ceramic composite, said ceramic composite having a strength.
5 more elements
A method for making a ceramic composite, comprising the steps of:
- (a) slurrying hollow ceramic microballoons with water;
- (b) felting the microballoons out of the slurry to form a wet mat;
- (c) drying the mat;
- (d) infusing a glass-forming ceramic sol-gel binder into the dried mat to form bridges between the microballoons;
- (e) gelling the binder;
- and
- (f) curing the gelled binder at a temperature no greater than about 600.degree. F. to form a glass that interconnects the microballoons into a rigid, porous product.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.