Mitsubishi Materials Corporation

Mitsubishi Mining and Cement Co. Ltd.

Mitsuru Suda

Kunio Ohtsuka

Johji Koga

A laminar clay having ion-exchange property is mixed with a solution containing polynuclear metal hydroxo cations or positively charged hydroxide or oxide fine particles to serve as precursor ions (3) of inorganic pillars so as to exchange a part of cations (2) between clay layers (1) with the precursor ions (3) of the inorganic pillars. Next, the laminar clay thus obtained is heat-treated at 100.degree. to 900.degree. C. to generate a porous clay intercalation compound, this porous clay intercalation compound is mixed with an ammonium salt aqueous solution to ion-exchange remaining cations (2) with ammonium ions (5). This porous clay intercalation compound is heat treated again at 200.degree. to 900.degree. C. to desorb ammonia, so as to allow hydrogen ions (6) to be carried in the pore portions of the porous clay intercalation compound and on its surface portions. The porous clay intercalation compound thus obtained has both a shape selectivity function owing to its uniform pore structure and high catalytic activity owing to the hydrogen ions (6).

Porous clay intercalation compound and its production method

A manufacturing method for ceramic-ceramic composite powders including the steps of; forming a suspension by mixing an inorganic powder having a cation-exchange property with a solution containing one or more metal ions to conduct ion exchange with the metal ions on the surface of the inorganic powder; adding to the suspension a precipitant-forming material which releases an anion in a solution when heated or pressurized; heating or pressurizing the suspension to release the anion which reacts with the metal ions to thereby precipitate metal hydroxides, metal basic salts or metallic salts on the surface of the inorganic powder; and thereafter heating the inorganic powder with the resultant precipitates to convert the precipitates into metal oxides. Metal-ceramic composite powders are manufactured by reducing the above metal oxides on the surface of the inorganic powder to metal. In the composite powders any arbitrary amount of metal oxides or metal is supported on the surface of the inorganic powder.

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Saitama, Japan

Mitsuru Suda