Ceramic production process
AssigneesIndustrial Research Limited, Pryotek Products Limited
InventorsGlen Clifton Barris, Gregory Michael Hodren
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for the production of O'--SIALON ceramics from silicon metal, nitrogen and clay, the process comprising heating the silicon metal and the clay in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere to a temperature sufficient to react the components to form O'--SIALON and wherein the clay participates in the reaction as a source of aluminum and silicon.
Claims32
A process for the production of O'--SiAlON from silicon metal, nitrogen, and clay, the process comprising heating a component mixture comprising the silicon metal and the clay in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere to a temperature sufficient to react the components to form O'--SiAlON and wherein the clay participates in the reaction as a source of aluminum and silicon.
A process for the production of O'--SiAlON from a component mixture comprising, by weight, 40%-60% silicon metal, 20%-45% clay, and 10%-25% silica, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) dehydroxylating the clay prior to inclusion in the component mixture;
- (b) heating the component mixture at a rate of 1.degree. C. to 6.degree. C. per minute, to a temperature of between about 1300.degree. C. to 1900.degree. C. under a flowing nitrogen atmosphere having .ltoreq.0.5% oxygen and .ltoreq.0.5% water vapor;
- (c) holding the temperature between 1300.degree. C. and 1900.degree. C. for up to 12 hours;
- and
- (d) recovering O'--SiAlON.
A process for the production of a composite ceramic material including O'--SiAlON from a mixture of components comprising a ceramic material, and an O'--SiAlON forming combination of silicon metal, clay and nitrogen wherein the process comprises heating the ceramic material, silicon metal and clay in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere to a temperature sufficient to form the O'--SiAlON composite ceramic and wherein the clay is a source of aluminum and silicon.
A process for the production of a composite ceramic including O'--SiAlON from a mixture of components comprising, by weight, up to 75% of a ceramic material and 2.5% or more of an O'--SiAlON forming mixture, wherein the O'--SiAlON forming mixture comprises, by weight, 40%-60% silicon metal, 20%-45% clay, and 10%-25% silica, the process comprising the steps of:
- (a) heating the component mixture at a rate of between about 1.degree. C. to 6.degree. C. per minute, to a temperature of between substantially 1300.degree. C. to 1900.degree. C. under a flowing N.sub.2 atmosphere having .ltoreq.0.5% oxygen and .ltoreq.0.5% water vapor;
- (b) holding the temperature between 1300.degree. C. and 1900.degree. C. for up to 12 hours;
- and
- (c) recovering the composite ceramic.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.