Composite thermal insulation

Claim 1

A composite suited for thermal insulation comprising separate layers of particulate material selected from the group consisting of (A) materials characterized by low thermal conductivity above 1,000*C, and (B) materials characterized by low thermal conductivity below 1,000*C arranged alternately with and separated by one or more layers of metal sheet, and wherein the first and last layers are comprised of layers of said particulate material, wherein one of said first and last layers comprises material (A) and the other comprises material (B), and wherein said particulate material (A) is selected from the group consisting of amorphous carbon powder, boron carbide, boron nitride, zirconium nitride, rare earth oxides, thorium oxide, zirconium oxide and zirconium carbide, and mixtures thereof, and wherein said particulate material (B) is selected from the group consisting of amorphous carbon powder, zirconia, stabilized zirconia, tungsten coated zirconia powder, boron nitride, boron carbide, silicon nitride, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, rare earth oxides, silicon dioxide, and mixtures thereof, and wherein particulate layer (A) is different from particulate layer (B).