Silicon carbide resistance body and method of making the same

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR IMPROVING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A BODY FORMED BY SILICONIZING A CARBON-CONTAINING MASS, WHICH BODY COMPRISES A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF SILICON CARBIDE IN THE BETA FORM TOGETHER WITH SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES OF FREE SILICON AND FREE CARBON, FREE SILICON CONSTITUTING AT LEAST 30% BY WEIGHT OF SAID BODY AND FREE CARBON CONSTITUTING AT LEAST 10% BY WEIGHT OF SAID BODY, WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING SAID BODY, FOLLOWING SILICONIZATION THEREOF AND IN THE ABSENCE OF SUBSTANTIAL FREE SILICON EXTERNAL TO SAID BODY, AT A TEMPERATURE IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 1800*C. BUT NOT IN EXCESS OF 2300*C. FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME TO REDUCE SIGNIFICANTLY THE CONTENT OF FREE SILICON AND FREE CARBON WHILE INCREASING THE SILICON CARBIDE CONTENT, UNDER TIME-TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS SUCH THAT THE SILICON CARBIDE CONTENT OF THE BODY REMAINS PRIMARILY IN THE BETA FORM, AND THEN SLOWLY COOLING SAID BODY.