US 5,849,650 AGranted

Slurry for making ceramic insulation

AssigneeThe Boeing Company

InventorsMichael E. Rorabaugh, Darryl F. Garrigus, Juris Verzemnieks

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Abstract

A fibrous ceramic mat is molded from a slurry of ceramic fibers and/or ceramic microparticles and/or a metal. The mat is impregnated with a sol prior to drying. A catalyst for the sol is introduced into the mat to cause the sol to gel. The sol-gel binder forms bonds so that the mat is dimensionally stabilized. The mat is dried to produce the desired ceramic insulation that has preferably a consistent microstructure and a fully gelled sol-gel binder through its entire thickness. When a metal is used, it corrodes (i.e., oxidizes) or otherwise reacts to form a refractory binder that augments the sol and reduces the need to infuse sol incrementally to achieve strength. Using metal powder significantly reduces the cost of manufacture.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A slurry having solids carried in a fluid for use in a process for forming ceramic insulation by separating the solids from the fluid in a felting operation to form a mat, comprising:

(a) a carrier fluid;
(b) optionally, ceramic fibers in an amount sufficient for adjusting the geometry and packing density of the ceramic insulation to control the mechanical strength, density, thermal conductivity and filtration characteristics;
(c) an amount of ceramic microparticles sufficient to increase the mechanical strength and improve the isotropic properties of the ceramic insulation;
(d) 5-100 parts by volume of a dispersant per million of the slurry to loosen agglomerates so that the slurry has a consistent composition throughout;
(e) 5-100 parts by volume of a flocculant per million of the slurry to reduce settling and filtering problems;
(f) 5-50 wt % based on the combined weight of the ceramic fibers and ceramic microparticles, of a metal being pure metal, intermetallic or alloy powders of aluminum, aluminum/magnesium, aluminum/silicon, aluminum/yttrium, yttrium, cerium, silicon, tantalum or mixtures thereof, the metal being present in a binding amount for conversion in situ to a refractory binder;
and
(g) optionally, an amount of fugitive microballoons to introduce fine porosity in the ceramic insulation.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/461,354Filed 5 Jun 1995 · division
Priority: 15 Sep 1992
Granted: 15 Dec 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification39 codes

C04B 41/009
After-treatment of mortars, concrete, artificial stone or ceramics; Treatment of natural stone: characterised by the material treated
C04B 14/24
Glass ; Devitrified glass: porous, e.g. foamed glass
C04B 28/005
Compositions of mortars, concrete or artificial stone, containing inorganic binders or the reaction product of an inorganic and an organic…
C04B 30/02
Compositions for artificial stone, not containing binders: containing fibrous materials

Family

Serial945,191Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 15 Sep 1992
Serial40,217Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 1 Apr 1993
Serial209,847Parent of this division · filed 11 Mar 1994
US 5,549,850 AParent of this continuation-in-part
US 5,849,650 AThis patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.