Method for making aligned fibrous crystals

Claim 1

A method of producing a rod which comprises essentially aligned individual fibrous crystals displaying a silicate chain structure, said method comprising the successive steps of: 1. providing a rod of a siliceous material which when subjected to melting and drawing yields at its crystallization temperature a primary crystalline phase having a silicate chain structure, said siliceous material selected from the group consisting, by weight percent, of: a. CaO 30%, SiO 2 50%, ZnO 20%; b. CaO 35%, SiO 2 55%, ZnO 10%; c. CaO 26%, MgO 2%, Al 2 O 3 13%, SiO 2 46%, ZnO 13%; and d. CaO 42.5%, SiO 2 50%, Na 2 O 7.5%; 2. providing an orifice of a coil of metallic material; 3. drawing said rod through said metallic coil and heating said rod to form a melt which melt is both supported by and in contact with said heated metallic coil such that the melt crystallizes out in the form of aligned fibrous crystals; 4. drawing the rod and melt through said coil at a predetermined rate while concurrently: i. maintaining the melt in a molten condition as it is drawn through said heated coil by heating said coil, and ii. adjusting the rate of drawing to be within the speed of propagation of said crystalline phase through the melt, thereby forming fiberous crystals substantially continuously and in a substantially parallel relationship to both each other and the longitudinal axis of the rod.

Claim 2

A method of producing a rod which comprises essentially aligned individual fibrous crystals displaying a silicate chain structure, said method comprising the successive steps of: 1. providing a rod of a siliceous material which when subjected to melting and drawing yields at its crystallization temperature a primary crystalline phase having a silicate chain structure, said siliceous material selected from the group consisting, by weight percent, of: a. CaO 30%, SiO 2 50%, ZnO 20%; b. CaO 35%, SiO 2 55%, ZnO 10%; c. CaO 26%, MgO 2%, Al 2 O 3 13%, SiO 2 46%, ZnO 13%; and d. CaO 42.5%, SiO 2 50%, Na 2 O 7.5%; 2. providing an orifice of a coil of metallic material; 3. drawing said rod through said metallic coil and heating said rod to form a melt which melt is both supported by and in contact with said heated metallic coil such that the melt crystallizes out in the form of aligned fibrous crystals; 4. drawing the rod and melt through said coil at a predetermined rate while concurrently: i. maintaining the melt in a molten condition as it is drawn through said heated coil by heating said coil, and ii. adjusting the rate of drawing to be within the speed of propagation of said crystalline phase through the melt, thereby forming fiberous crystals substantially continuously and in a substantially parallel relationship to both each other and the longitudinal axis of the rod.

Claim 10

A method of producing a β-CaSiO 3 rod which comprises essentially aligned individual fibrous crystals displaying a silicate chain structure, said method comprising the successive steps of: 1. providing a rod of a siliceous material which when subjected to melting and drawing yields at its crystallization temperature a primary crystalline phase having a silicate chain structure, said siliceous material selected from the group consisting, by weight percent, of: a. CaO 30%, SiO 2 50%, ZnO 20%; b. CaO 35%, SiO 2 55%, ZnO 10%; c. CaO 26%, MgO 2%, Al 2 O 3 13%, SiO 2 46%, ZnO 13%; and d. CaO 42.5%, SiO 2 50%, Na 2 O 7.5%; and 2. providing an orifice of a coil of metallic material; 3. drawing said rod through said metallic coil and heating said rod to form a melt which melt is both supported by and in contact with said heated metallic coil such that the melt crystallizes out in the form of aligned fibrous crystals; 4. drawing the rod and melt through said coil at a predetermined rate while concurrently: i. maintaining the melt in a molten condition as it is drawn through said heated coil by heating said coil, and ii. adjusting the rate of drawing to be within the speed of propagation of said crystalline phase through the melt, thereby forming β-CaSiO 3 fiberous crystals substantially continuously and in a substantially parallel relationship to both each other and the longitudinal axis of the rod.

Claim 11

A method of producing a β-CaSiO 3 rod which comprises essentially aligned individual fibrous crystals displaying a silicate chain structure, said method comprising the successive steps of: 1. providing a rod of a siliceous material which when subjected to melting and drawing yields at its crystallization temperature a primary crystalline phase having a silicate chain structure, said siliceous material selected from the group consisting, by weight percent, of: a. CaO 30%, SiO 2 50%, ZnO 20%; b. CaO 35%, SiO 2 55%, ZnO 10%; c. CaO 26%, MgO 2%, Al 2 O 3 13%, SiO 2 46%, ZnO 13%; and d. CaO 42.5%, SiO 2 50%, Na 2 O 7.5%; and 2. providing an orifice of a coil of metallic material; 3. drawing said rod through said metallic coil and heating said rod to form a melt which melt is both supported by and in contact with said heated metallic coil such that the melt crystallizes out in the form of aligned fibrous crystals; 4. drawing the rod and melt through said coil at a predetermined rate while concurrently: i. maintaining the melt in a molten condition as it is drawn through said heated coil by heating said coil, and ii. adjusting the rate of drawing to be within the speed of propagation of said crystalline phase through the melt, thereby forming β-CaSiO 3 fiberous crystals substantially continuously and in a substantially parallel relationship to both each other and the longitudinal axis of the rod.