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:
Aug. 08, 2000
Filed:
May. 28, 1999
Yasufumi Aihara, Nagoya, JP;
Katsuhiro Inoue, Ama-gun, JP;
NGK Insulators, Ltd., Nagoya, JP;
Abstract
A silicon nitride sintered material includes silicon nitride and rare earth element compounds. Y and Yb are contained as the rare earth elements in a total amount of 5-7 mole % in terms of oxides, Yb/Y is 4/6 to 9/1 in terms of molar ratio of oxides, and the crystal phases of grain boundary contain a H phase and a J phase with the proportion of the H phase being larger than that of the J phase. A process for producing a silicon nitride sintered material includes the steps of mixing a Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 powder with Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and Yb.sub.2 O.sub.3 both as a sintering aid, the total amount of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and Yb.sub.2 O.sub.3 being 5-7 mole % and the molar ratio of Yb.sub.2 O.sub.3 /Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 being 4/6 to 9/1, molding the resulting mixture, sintering the molded material in a nitrogen atmosphere at 1,850-1,950.degree. C., and heat-treating the sintered material in air at 1,000-1,500.degree. C. for 0.5-10 hours. The silicon nitride sintered material has, in a small or large thickness, oxidation resistance and strength at low temperatures while retaining high strength at high temperatures.