Method for the fabrication of threaded ceramic parts

Abstract

A method of fabricating a threaded micro-ceramic part, includes the steps of: forming a sacrificial fiber, having a melting temperature greater than the sintering temperature of the ceramic material to be used to mold the threaded micro-ceramic part; winding the sacrificial fiber about a sintered ceramic plug generally in the shape of the threaded micro-ceramic part with the winded fiber corresponding to threads; providing a green ceramic housing formed with a passage and placing the plug with the wound sacrificial fiber in the passage. The method further includes the steps of sintering the green ceramic housing containing the wound sacrificial fiber plug to provide a unitary structure; removing the wound sacrificial fiber from the unitary structure forming a threaded cavity in the unitary structure; removing the plug leaving behind a threaded mold which is adapted to form the threaded micro-ceramic part; compressing ceramic powder within the threaded mold; and sintering the threaded mold containing the compressed ceramic powder to harden the sintered ceramic powder to form the threaded micro-ceramic part whereby during sintering the formed threaded micro-ceramic part shrinks to permit its removal from the mold.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.