United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Ann M Kazakos

Rustum N Roy

Sridhar Komarneni

Compositionally triphasic nanocomposite gel is made by mixing two or more sols of ceramic precursor oxides. Such gel is then dried and ground to a fine powder which is pressed into compact bodies. The compact bodies are thereafter fired in a sintering oven at from 1100.degree. C. to 1400.degree. C. and, aided by the heat of reaction of the two or more nono gel powders, the (heterogeneous) mixture of such powders crystallizes into a homogeneous crystalline ceramic of .alpha.-cordierite at up to 100% of theoretical density. Thus, novel method of manufacture and novel ceramic end-product are provided.

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State College, PA, United States of America

Ann M Kazakos