Inorganic fibers and method of preparation

Claim 1

A NON-VITREOUS FIBER IN THE FORM OF A RIBBON OF RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION COMPOSED OF BETWEEN ABOUT 5% AND 15% BY WEIGHT OF SILICA AND BETWEEN ABOUT 85% AND 95% BY WEIGHT OF AN OXIDE OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM, THE RARE EARTHS, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM, THORIUM, IRON, COBALT, MANGANESE, NICKEL AND VANADIUM.

Claim 3

A METHOD OF FORMING FIBERS IN THE FORM OF RIBBONS OF RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION HAVING A THICKNESS FROM ABOUT 0.1 MICRON TO ABOUT 1 MICRON AND WIDTHS FROM ABOUT 2 MICRONS TO ABOUT 20 MICRONS AND CONSISTING OF A MAJOR PROPORTION OF AN OXIDE OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM, THE RARE EARTH, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM, THORIUM, IRON, COBALT, MANGANESE, NICKEL AND VANADIUM AND A MINOR AMOUNT OF SILICA WHICH COMPRISES: PREPARING A COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLUTION CONTAINING (1) A METAL SALT OF A CARBOXYLIC ACID WHOSE DISSOCIATION CONSTANT IS GREATER THAN 1.5 X 10-5, (2) A METAL SALT OF A STRONG MINERAL ACID EACH OF SAID SALTS BEING A SALT OF A METAL SELECTED FROM SAID GROUP, AND (3) A SILICA SOL; WHEREIN THE RELATIVE PROPORTION OF SAID METAL SALTS TO SILICA WHEN EXPRESSED AS OXIDES, LIES BETWEEN 85% TO 95% METALLIC OXIDE: 5%-15% SILICA, BY WEIGHT; FORMING A LAYER OF THE COMPOSITION IN A THICKNESS UP TO ABOUT 50 MICRONS, ON AN INFRARED ABSORBING SUPPORT OF A MATERIAL TO WHICH THE FIBERS DO NOT ADHERE; EXPOSING THE LAYER TO INFRARED TO RAPIDLY REMOVE SOLVENT THEREFROM, WHEREBY THE LAYER DRIES AND DISINTEGRATES INTO FIBERS; AND RECOVERING THE LOOSE FIBERS FROM THE SUPPORT.

Claim 4

A METHOD OF FORMING FIBERS IN THE FORM OF RIBBONS OF RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION HAVING A THICKNESS FROM ABOUT 0.1 MICRON TO ABOUT 1 MICRON AND WIDTHS FROM ABOUT 2 MICRONS TO ABOUT 20 MICRONS AND CONSISTING OF A MAJOR PROPORTION OF AN OXIDE OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM, THE RARE EARTH, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM, THORIUM, IRON, COBALT, MANGANESE, NICKEL AND VANADIUM AND A MINOR AMOUNT OF SILICA WHICH COMPRISES: PREPARING A COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A SOLUTION CONTAINING (1) A METAL SALT OF A CARBOXYLIC ACID WHOSE DISSOCIATION CONSTANT IS GREATER THAN 1.5 X 10-5, (2) A METAL SALT OF A STRONG MINERAL ACID EACH OF SAID SALTS BEING A SALT OF A METAL SELECTED FROM SAID GROUP, AND (3) A SILICA SOL; WHEREIN THE RELATIVE PROPORTION OF SAID METAL SALTS TO SILICA WHEN EXPRESSED AS OXIDES, LIES BETWEEN 85% TO 95% METALLIC OXIDE: 5%-15% SILICA, BY WEIGHT; FORMING A LAYER OF THE COMPOSITION IN A THICKNESS UP TO ABOUT 50 MICRONS, ON AN INFRARED ABSORBING SUPPORT OF A MATERIAL TO WHICH THE FIBERS DO NOT ADHERE; EXPOSING THE LAYER TO INFRARED TO RAPIDLY REMOVE SOLVENT THEREFROM, WHEREBY THE LAYER DRIES AND DISINTEGRATES INTO FIBERS; AND RECOVERING THE LOOSE FIBERS FROM THE SUPPORT.