Method for the manufacture of uniform, high-density, high-temperature resistant articles

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY NON-POROUS, HEAT-RESISTANT TITANIUM CARBIDE ARTICLES, SAID ARTICLES HAVING AN IMPROVED COMBINATION OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AT ORDINARY AND ELEVATED TEMPERATURES, THE STEPS COMPRISING MIXING TITANIUM CARBIDE POWDER CONTAINING ABOUT 1% TO 3% OF FREE CARBON WITH ABOUT 2% TO 12% BY WEIGHT OF A BINDER METAL POWDER HAVING A CHEMICAL AFFINITY FOR THE FREE CARBON, FINELY DISINTEGRATING THE MIXED POWDERS WHEREBY PARTICLES OF THE FREECARBON-CONTAINING TITANIUM CARBIDE POWDER ARE COATED WITH SAID BINDER METAL, SHAPING THE COATED TITANIUM CARBIDE PARTICLES AND BINDER METAL POWDER MIXTURE INTO A POROUS, SKELETON BODY HAVING AN INTERCONNECTED PORE SYSTEM THERETHROUGH, SUBJECTING THE THUS-SHAPED POROUS, SKELETON BODY TO A SKELETON-STRENGTHENING TREATMENT COMPRISING HEATING SAID SKELETON BODY AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO PROMOTE SUPERFICIAL SOLUTION BETWEEN THE FREE CARBON, THE TITANIUM CARBIDE PARTICLES, AND THE SAID BINDER METAL COATING THEREON, THEREBY PRODUCING ON SAID TITANIUM CARBIDE PARTICLES A TENACIOUS BORDER ZONE, AND THEREAFTER INFILTRATING THE THUS-STRENGTHENED POROUS, SKELETON BODY WITH AN INFILTRANT METAL CONTAINING SAID BINDER METAL, THE BORDER ZONE ON SAID TITANIUM CARBIDE PARTICLES FORMING A TENACIOUS CEMENT BETWEEN SAID SKELETON AND THE INFILTRANT METAL, WHEREBY A HIGHSTRENGTH, COHERENT, DENSE, INFILTRATED TITANIUM CARBIDE BODY IS PRODUCED.