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AssigneeCabot Corporation
InventorsR. Ulrich Boes, Leroy Ortiz, Kevin Roderick, Douglas M. Smith
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A method of compacting a fumed metal oxide-containing composition is disclosed. In the method of the present invention, the fumed metal oxide-containing composition is treated with vapor comprising water such that the vapor is adsorbed into the fumed metal oxide so as to produce a vapor-treated fumed metal oxide-containing composition. Pressure is applied to the vapor-treated fumed metal oxide-containing composition to reduce the volume of the metal oxide-containing composition so as to produce a compacted metal oxide-containing composition, which is characterized by a volume springback that is less than the volume springback of the same compacted metal oxide-containing composition prepared in the absence of said vapor treatment.
A method of compacting a fumed metal oxide-containing composition comprising (a) providing a fumed metal oxide-containing composition, (b) treating said fumed metal oxide-containing composition, in the absence of liquid, with vapor comprising water such that said vapor is adsorbed into said fumed metal oxide so as to produce a vapor-treated fumed metal oxide-containing composition, wherein the vapor treatment results in a weight gain of the fumed metal oxide-containing composition of about 0.5% or more, and (c) applying pressure to said vapor-treated fumed metal oxide-containing composition to reduce the volume of said metal oxide-containing composition so as to produce a compacted metal oxide-containing composition.
The method of claimed 1, wherein said vapor consists essentially of water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.