Method of drawing a ceramic
AssigneeUniversity of Central Florida
InventorsNathaniel R. Quick, Aravinda Kar, Yonggang Li, Raymond R. McNeice
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Abstract
An apparatus and method is disclosed for drawing continuous metallic wire having a first diameter to a metallic fiber having a reduced second diameter. A feed mechanism moves the wire at a first linear velocity. A laser beam heats a region of the wire to an elevated temperature. A draw mechanism draws the heated wire at a second and greater linear velocity for providing a drawn metallic fiber having the reduced second diameter.
Claims6
A method of fabricating a ceramic-metal composite wire having an inner metal wire component and outer ceramic surface comprising the steps of:
- feeding the metal wire into an entry orifice of a chamber at a first linear velocity;
- introducing a reactive atmosphere into the chamber for enveloping the metal wire;
- laser heating a region of the metal wire within the chamber for reacting the reactive atmosphere with the metal wire to convert a portion of the metal wire into a ceramic material to from the outer ceramic surface face of the composite wire;
- and
- drawing the composite wire at second linear velocity from an exit orifice of the chamber for producing the ceramic-metal composite having a reduced second diameter.
A method of fabricating a ceramic fiber tube, comprising the steps of:
- feeding the metal wire into an entry orifice of a chamber at a first linear velocity;
- introducing a reactive atmosphere into the chamber for enveloping the metal wire;
- laser heating a region of the metal wire within the chamber for reacting the reactive atmosphere with the metal wire to convert a portion of the metal wire into a ceramic material to from the outer ceramic surface face of the metal wire;
- and
- drawing the composite wire at second linear velocity from an exit orifice of the chamber for producing a ceramic tube on a metal fiber having a reduced second diameter;
- and
- removing the metal fiber from the ceramic tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.