The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 21, 2019
Filed:
Dec. 04, 2013
European Space Agency, Paris, FR;
David John Jarvis, Voorschoten, NL;
Wayne Eric Voice, Nottingham, GB;
Nicholas John Elsworth Adkins, Nantwich, GB;
Hany Salamam Sayed Ali Hassanin, Birmingham, GB;
European Space Agency, Paris, FR;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a ceramic article () from a metal or metal matrix composite preform () provided by 3D-printing or by 3D-weaving. The preform () is placed in a heating chamber (), and a predetermined time-temperature profile is applied in order to controllably react the preform () with a gas introduced into the heating chamber (). The metal, the gas and the time-temperature profile are chosen so as to induce a metal-gas reaction resulting in at least a part of the preform () transforming into a ceramic. Preferred embodiments of the invention comprises a first oxidation stage involving a metal-gas reaction in order to form a supporting oxide layer () at the surface of the metal, followed by a second stage in which the heating chamber () is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the metal to increase the kinetics of the chemical reaction. The invention also relates to a number of advantageous uses of a ceramic article manufactured as described.