Lanxide Technology Company, LP

Harold D Lesher

Andrew W Urquhart

Danny R White

Christopher R Kennedy

Marc S Newkirk

Michael K Aghajanian

Terry D Claar

Ratnesh K Dwivedi

Harry Richard Zwicker

Perry B Goldberg

Jack A Kuszyk

John P Biel, Jr

Craig B Shumaker

John Peter Biel

A method of making self-supporting ceramic composite structures having filler embedded therein includes infiltrating a permeable mass of filler with polycrystalline material comprising an oxidation reaction product obtained by oxidation of a parent metal such as aluminum. The self-supporting ceramic composite structure optionally contains therein non-oxidized constituents of the parent metal. The structure is formed by placing a parent metal adjacent to a permeable filler and heating the assembly to melt the parent metal and provide a molten body of parent metal which is contacted with a suitable oxidant. Within a certain temperature region and optionally, aided by one or more dopants in or on the parent metal, molten parent metal will migrate through previously formed oxidation reaction product into contact with the oxidant, causing the oxidation reaction product to grow so as to embed the adjacent filler and provide the composite structure. The parent metal may be provided as a body of metal placed in contact with an exterior surface of the permeable mass. Alternatively, the parent metal may be placed adjacent to the filler material by admixing a plurality of discrete bodies of parent metal (e.g., particulate metal) into the permeable mass. In this embodiment, the growth of oxidation reaction product still embeds the adjacent filler material without substantial change in the size or shape of the permeable mass, but does not result in the creation of voids at the former locations of the bodies of parent metal.

Methods of making composite ceramic articles having embedded filler

A method of making self-supporting ceramic composite structures having filler embedded therein includes infiltrating a permeable mass of filler with polycrystalline material comprising an oxidation reaction product obtained by oxidation of a parent metal such as aluminum and optionally, containing therein non-oxidized constituents of the parent metal. The structure is formed by placing a parent metal adjacent to a permeable filler and heating the assembly to melt the parent metal and provide a molten body of parent metal which is contacted with a suitable vapor-phase oxidant. Within a certain temperature region and optionally, aided by one or more dopants in or on the parent metal, molten parent metal will migrate through previously formed oxidation reaction product into contact with the oxidant, causing the oxidation reaction product to grow so as to embed the adjacent filler and provide the composite structure. In a preferred embodiment, a parent metal comprising aluminum is oxidized by a vapor-phase oxidant comprising nitrogen to form a ceramic matrix comprising an aluminum nitride oxidation reaction product. In a particularly preferred embodiment, one or more protective coatings are applied to the filler prior to formation of the aluminum nitride oxidation reaction product matrix.

Methods of making composite aluminum nitride ceramic articles having

There is disclosed methods for producing self-supporting ceramic matrix and ceramic matrix composite bodies by batch, semi-continuous, and continuous processes utilizing the directed oxidation of a molten parent metal with an oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product which may embed filler material.

Methods of producing ceramic and ceramic composite bodies

The invention relates to a method for producing ceramic composites obtained by oxidation of a parent metal to form a polycrystalline ceramic material by providing a filler having a coating of a silicon source on at least a portion of the filler different in composition from the primary composition of the filler, said silicon source possessing intrinsic doping properties. A body of molten parent metal, adjacent a mass of the filter material, reacts with an oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product which infiltrates the adjacent mass of filler, thereby forming the ceramic composite.

Method of making ceramic composites

There is disclosed methods for producing self-supporting ceramic matrix and ceramic matrix composite bodies by batch, semi-continuous, and continuous processes utilzing the directed oxidation of a molten parent metal with an oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product which may embed filler material.

The invention relates to a method for producing ceramic composites obtained by oxidation of a parent metal to form a polycrystalline ceramic material by providing a filler having a coating of a silicon source on at least a portion of the filler different in composition from the primary composition of the filler, said silicon source possessing intrinsic doping properties. A body of molten parent metal, adjacent a mass of the filler material, reacts with an oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product which infiltrates the adjacent mass of filler, thereby forming the ceramic composite.

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Wilmington, DE, United States of America

Harold D Lesher