Apparatus for siliconizing silicon carbide bodies

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR SILILCONIZING PREDETERMINED PORTION OF POROUS SILICON CARBID BODIES COMPRISING A TUBULAR HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED CARBON MEMBER FORMING A MELTING CHAMBER INTO WHICH IS INTRODUCED SILICON POWDER, CLOSURES CARRIED BY THE ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER IN FLUID TIGHT RELATIONSHIP, MEANS FORMING A HOUSING AROUND SAID CHAMBER, HOLES BEING FORMED IN SAID TUBULAR CARBON MEMBER TO PROJECT THERETHROUGH SAID SILICON CARBIDE BODIES SO AS TO DISPOSE THE PORTIONS THEREOF WHICH ARE TO BE SILICONIZED IN SAID MELTING CHAMBER AND TO EMBED SUCH PORTIONS IN THE SILICON POWDER THEREIN, A PROTECTIVE PACKING DISPOSED AROUND SAID MELTING CHAMBER AND AROUND PARTS OF SAID BODIES, THE REMAINING PARTS OF SAID BODIES PROJECTING FROM SAID PROTECTIVE PACKING TO THE OUTSIDE, MEANS INCLUDING ELECTRICAL TERMINALS CONNECTED AT THE ENDS OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBR FOR GRADUALLY HEATING SAID MELTING CHAMBER TO MELT SAID SILICON POWDER THEREIN, SAID EMBEDDED PORTIONS OF SAID BODIES BEING CORRESPONDINGLY GRADUALLY HEATED, FIRST TO ELEVATED TEMPERATURE TO CAUSE ESCAPE OF GASEOUS MATTER OCCLUDED THEREIN TO THE OUTSIDE THROUGH THE PARTS OF SAID BODIES WHICH PROJECT FROM SAID PACKING AND THEREAFTER TO ASSUME A TEMPERATURE CORRESPONDING TO THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SAID SILICON IN SAID MELTING CHAMBERSAID PROTECTIVE PACKING PREVENTING DISSIPATION OF THE VAPOR PRESSURE GENERATED IN SAID MELTING CHAMBER BY THE MELTING OF SAID SILICON TO CAUSE THE MOLTEN SILICON TO PENETRATE INTO THE DEGASSED PORES OF THE EMBEDDED PORTIONS OF SAID SILICON CARBIDE BODIES.