Method of making moisture resistant aluminum nitride powder and powder produced thereby

Abstract

A method for making a moisture-resistant aluminum nitride-containing powder which includes (a) coatng a layer of silicate onto aluminum nitride-containing powder having aluminum nitride on at least a portion of its surface and (b) heat-treating the coated aluminum nitride-containing powder at a temperature of from 350.degree. to 1000.degree. C. for a period of time sufficient to cause the silicate to react with the surface aluminum nitride thereby forming a layer of Si--Al--O--N bonded to the surface aluminum nitride. The silicate has alkyl or alkoxyalkyl radicals attached thereto. The method yields a moisture-resistant aluminum nitride-containing powder having a layer of Si--Al--O--N reaction-bonded to the surface aluminum nitride.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.