Refractory material

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FABRICATING A HIGH TEMPERATURE REFRACTORY PRODUCT WHICH METHOD COMPRISES MIXING TOGETHER PARTICLES OF CARBON AND PARTICLES OF A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUPS CONSISTING OF REFRACTORY METALS, COMPOUNDS OF SAID METALS WHICH ARE HEAT DECOMPOSABLE BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF SAID METALS AND BELOW THE CARBIDEFORMING TEMPERATURE OF SAID METALS AND WHICH YIELD SAID METALS AND OXYGEN-FREE GAS ON DECOMPOSITION, AND MIXTURES OF SAID METALS AND SAID COMPOUNDS, SUFFICIENT CARBON BEING PROVIDED TO FORM A MATRIX AND TO CARBURIZE SAID REFRACTORY METAL, COMPRESSING THE RESULTANT MIXTURE TO FORM A POROUS CARBON MATRIX AND SUFFICIENTLY RAPIDLY HEATING TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF THE REFRACTORY METAL TO MELT SAID REFRACTORY METAL ND CAUSE THE MOLTEN REFRACTORY METAL TO FLOW INTO THE PORES OF THE CARBON MATRIX BEFORE SUBSTANTIAL CARBURIZATION OF SAID REFRACTORY METAL OCCURS, AND RETAINING SAID MIXTURE AT SUFFICIENT TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID MOLTEN REFRACTORY METAL REACTS WITH SAID CARBON TO FORM REFRACTORY METAL CARBIDE, SUFFICIENT REFRACTORY METAL CARBIDE BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTON OF GAS PERMEABILITY OF SAID CARBON MATRIX AND TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE STRENGTH THEREOF.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FABRICATING A HIGH TEMPERATURE REFRACTORY PRODUCT WHICH METHOD COMPRISES MIXING TOGETHER PARTICLES OF CARBON AND PARTICLES OF A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUPS CONSISTING OF REFRACTORY METALS, COMPOUNDS OF SAID METALS WHICH ARE HEAT DECOMPOSABLE BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF SAID METALS AND BELOW THE CARBIDEFORMING TEMPERATURE OF SAID METALS AND WHICH YIELD SAID METALS AND OXYGEN-FREE GAS ON DECOMPOSITION, AND MIXTURES OF SAID METALS AND SAID COMPOUNDS, SUFFICIENT CARBON BEING PROVIDED TO FORM A MATRIX AND TO CARBURIZE SAID REFRACTORY METAL, COMPRESSING THE RESULTANT MIXTURE TO FORM A POROUS CARBON MATRIX AND SUFFICIENTLY RAPIDLY HEATING TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF THE REFRACTORY METAL TO MELT SAID REFRACTORY METAL ND CAUSE THE MOLTEN REFRACTORY METAL TO FLOW INTO THE PORES OF THE CARBON MATRIX BEFORE SUBSTANTIAL CARBURIZATION OF SAID REFRACTORY METAL OCCURS, AND RETAINING SAID MIXTURE AT SUFFICIENT TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID MOLTEN REFRACTORY METAL REACTS WITH SAID CARBON TO FORM REFRACTORY METAL CARBIDE, SUFFICIENT REFRACTORY METAL CARBIDE BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTON OF GAS PERMEABILITY OF SAID CARBON MATRIX AND TO SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE THE STRENGTH THEREOF.