Abstract A new ceramic treatment process and product and, more particularly, a process for forming and treating and shaping and treating of porous skeletal bodies to produce hardened dimensionally stable end products at relatively low temperatures and the resulting materials produced thereby which comprises the steps of treating a porous skeletal body by impregnating the interstices of the porous body with a compound of a metal capable of being converted to an oxide in situ at relatively low temperatures, heating the body so impregnated at temperatures well below normal vitrification to a temperature of at least 600° F. and for a period of time sufficient to convert the compound impregnated therein to an oxide and repeating the impregnation and heating steps until the desired degree of hardness is obtained. The invention further contemplates the forming of the porous body from relatively finely divided materials which may be relatively pure powders, mixtures of powders or impure powders, including additives in the form of discrete particles, fibers, fillers and the like, which powders are molded and bound together or bound together and molded with a binder which may comprise the impregnating compound or other suitable binder prior to treatment.
A chemically hardened refractory body comprising: a closely packed porous mass of finely divided discrete particles at least the surface of which consists of a refractory oxide of at least one metallic element having a vitrification temperature in excess of 600° F. essentially devoid of vitreous and/or sinter bonding between the particles with said particles being bonded together by chromic oxide formed at temperatures below the vitrification temperature of the refractory oxide and having substantial deposits of chromic oxide within the pores thereof.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
83 words
A chemically hardened refractory body comprising: a closely packed porous mass of finely divided discrete particles at least the surface of which consists of a refractory oxide of at least one metallic element having a vitrification temperature in excess of 600° F. essentially devoid of vitreous and/or sinter bonding between the particles with said particles being bonded together by chromic oxide formed at temperatures below the vitrification temperature of the refractory oxide and having substantial deposits of chromic oxide within the pores thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
71 words
A chemically hardened refractory oxide body comprising: a closely packed porous mass of finely divided discrete particles of a refractory oxide having a vitrification temperature in excess of 600° F. essentially devoid of vitreous and/or sinter bonding between the particles with said particles being bonded together by chromic oxide formed at temperatures below the vitrification temperature of the refractory oxide and having substantial deposits of chromic oxide within the pores thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
71 words
A chemically hardened refractory oxide body comprising: a closely packed porous mass of finely divided discrete particles of a refractory oxide having a vitrification temperature in excess of 600° F. essentially devoid of vitreous and/or sinter bonding between the particles with said particles being bonded together by chromic oxide formed at temperatures below the vitrification temperature of the refractory oxide and having substantial deposits of chromic oxide within the pores thereof.