Method of making a cellular body from a high silica borosilicate composition

Claim 1

A method of making a cellular body from a high borosilicate composition comprising, mixing at a temperature below the melting temperature of any of the constituents amorphous silica having particles of submicron size, alumina, boric acid, less than 3% by weight alkali metal oxide and a cellulating agent and forming a pulverulent homogeneous mixture, said mixture containing more than 80% by weight amorphous silica, and thereafter subjecting said pulverulent homogeneous mixture to a temperature sufficient to coalesce but insufficient to further homogenize said homogeneous mixture, said temperature being sufficient to gasify said cellulating agent and form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 2

A method of making a cellular body from a high borosilicate composition comprising, mixing at a temperature below the melting temperature of any of the constituents amorphous silica having particles of submicron size, alumina, boric acid, less than 3% by weight alkali metal oxide and a cellulating agent and forming a pulverulent homogeneous mixture, said mixture containing more than 80% by weight amorphous silica, and thereafter subjecting said pulverulent homogeneous mixture to a temperature sufficient to coalesce but insufficient to further homogenize said homogeneous mixture, said temperature being sufficient to gasify said cellulating agent and form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 7

A method of making a cellular body from a high borosilicate composition comprising, preparing a pulverulent homogeneous mixture from constituents comprising amorphous silica, alumina, boric acid, an alkali metal oxide and a cellulating agent, said mixture containing more than 80% by weight amorphous silica, thereafter subjecting said pulverulent homogeneous mixture to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said homogeneous mixture and gasify said cellulating agent to form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure, comminuting a portion of said cellular body, mixing between about 15 to 40 percent by weight of said comminuted cellular body with between about 60 to 85 percent by weight of said pulverulent homogeneous mixture to form a pulverulent homogeneous mixture containing said comminuted cellular body, thereafter subjecting said pulverulent homogeneous mixture containing said comminuted cellular body to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said homogeneous mixture and gasify said cellulating agent to form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 8

A method of making a cellular body from a high borosilicate composition comprising, preparing a pulverulent homogeneous mixture from constituents comprising amorphous silica, alumina, boric acid, an alkali metal oxide and a cellulating agent, said mixture containing more than 80% by weight amorphous silica, thereafter subjecting said pulverulent homogeneous mixture to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said homogeneous mixture and gasify said cellulating agent to form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure, comminuting a portion of said cellular body, mixing between about 15 to 40 percent by weight of said comminuted cellular body with between about 60 to 85 percent by weight of said pulverulent homogeneous mixture to form a pulverulent homogeneous mixture containing said comminuted cellular body, thereafter subjecting said pulverulent homogeneous mixture containing said comminuted cellular body to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said homogeneous mixture and gasify said cellulating agent to form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 9

A method of making a cellular body from a high silica borosilicate composition comprising, preparing an aqueous slurry from a mixture comprising amorphous silica, alumina, boric acid, alkali metal hydroxide and a cellulating agent, said mixture containing more than 80 percent by weight precipitated amorphous silica, drying said slurry and forming particles of the solid constituents in said slurry, forming a pulverulent batch from said particles of the solid constituents in said slurry, thereafter subjecting said pulverulent batch to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said pulverulent batch and gasify said cellulating agent to form a foam-like mass having a nonuniform cell structure, comminuting said foam-like mass to form a precellulated material, mixing said precellulated material with said cellulating agent to form a mixture of precellulated material and cellulating agent, and thereafter subjecting said mixture of precellulated material and cellulating agent to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said precellulated material and gasify said cellulating agent and cellulate and precellulated material to form a cellular body having substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 10

A method of making a cellular body from a high silica borosilicate composition comprising, preparing an aqueous slurry from a mixture comprising amorphous silica, alumina, boric acid, alkali metal hydroxide and a cellulating agent, said mixture containing more than 80 percent by weight precipitated amorphous silica, drying said slurry and forming particles of the solid constituents in said slurry, forming a pulverulent batch from said particles of the solid constituents in said slurry, thereafter subjecting said pulverulent batch to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said pulverulent batch and gasify said cellulating agent to form a foam-like mass having a nonuniform cell structure, comminuting said foam-like mass to form a precellulated material, mixing said precellulated material with said cellulating agent to form a mixture of precellulated material and cellulating agent, and thereafter subjecting said mixture of precellulated material and cellulating agent to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said precellulated material and gasify said cellulating agent and cellulate and precellulated material to form a cellular body having substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 18

A method of forming a precellulated material suitable for cellulation into a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure comprising, preparing an aqueous slurry from a mixture comprising amorphous silica, alumina, boric acid, alkali metal hydroxide and a cellulating agent, said mixture containing more than 80 percent by weight silica, drying said slurry and forming particles of the solid constituents in said slurry, forming a pulverulent batch from said particles of the solid constituents in said slurry, thereafter subjecting said pulverulent batch to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said pulverulent batch and gasify said cellulating agent to form a foam-like mass having a nonuniform cell structure, and comminuting said foam-like mass to form a precellulated material suitable for cellulation into a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 19

A method of forming a precellulated material suitable for cellulation into a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure comprising, preparing an aqueous slurry from a mixture comprising amorphous silica, alumina, boric acid, alkali metal hydroxide and a cellulating agent, said mixture containing more than 80 percent by weight silica, drying said slurry and forming particles of the solid constituents in said slurry, forming a pulverulent batch from said particles of the solid constituents in said slurry, thereafter subjecting said pulverulent batch to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said pulverulent batch and gasify said cellulating agent to form a foam-like mass having a nonuniform cell structure, and comminuting said foam-like mass to form a precellulated material suitable for cellulation into a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 20

A method of making a cellular body from a high silica borosilicate composition comprising, preparing an aqueous slurry from a mixture consisting essentially of amorphous silica, alumina, boric acid, alkali metal hydroxide, and a cellulating agent, said mixture having between 80 and 88 percent by weight amorphous silica, drying said slurry and forming aggregates of the solid constituents in said slurry, comminuting said aggregates to a size of about 2.5 microns and forming therefrom a pulverulent batch, thereafter subjecting said pulverulent batch to a temperature of about 1450° C. for a sufficient time to coalesce said pulverulent batch and gasify said cellulating agent to form a foam-like mass having a nonuniform cell structure, comminuting said foam-like mass to a size of about 2.5 microns to form a precellulated material therefrom, mixing said precellulated material with about 1 percent by weight cellulating agent to form a mixture of precellulated material and cellulating agent, mixing between about 20 to 30 percent by weight of said mixture of precellulated material and cellulating agent with between about 70 and 80 percent by weight pulverulent batch, and thereafter subjecting said last named mixture to a temperature of about 1450° C. for a sufficient period of time to coalesce said precellulated material and said pulverulent batch and gasify said cellulating agent and form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 21

A method of making a cellular body from a high silica borosilicate composition comprising, preparing an aqueous slurry from a mixture consisting essentially of amorphous silica, alumina, boric acid, alkali metal hydroxide, and a cellulating agent, said mixture having between 80 and 88 percent by weight amorphous silica, drying said slurry and forming aggregates of the solid constituents in said slurry, comminuting said aggregates to a size of about 2.5 microns and forming therefrom a pulverulent batch, thereafter subjecting said pulverulent batch to a temperature of about 1450° C. for a sufficient time to coalesce said pulverulent batch and gasify said cellulating agent to form a foam-like mass having a nonuniform cell structure, comminuting said foam-like mass to a size of about 2.5 microns to form a precellulated material therefrom, mixing said precellulated material with about 1 percent by weight cellulating agent to form a mixture of precellulated material and cellulating agent, mixing between about 20 to 30 percent by weight of said mixture of precellulated material and cellulating agent with between about 70 and 80 percent by weight pulverulent batch, and thereafter subjecting said last named mixture to a temperature of about 1450° C. for a sufficient period of time to coalesce said precellulated material and said pulverulent batch and gasify said cellulating agent and form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 22

A method of making a cellular body from a high borosilicate composition comprising, comminuting and mixing constituents at a temperature below the melting temperature of any of the constituents comprising alumina, boric acid, alkali metal salt and a cellulating agent to form a first mixture, adding amorphous silica having particles of submicron size to said first mixture to form a second mixture, said second mixture containing more than 80 percent by weight amorphous silica and less than 3 percent by weight alkali metal oxide, and thereafter subjecting said second mixture to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said second mixture but insufficient to further homogenize said second mixture, said temperature being sufficient to gasify said cellulating agent and form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 23

A method of making a cellular body from a high borosilicate composition comprising, comminuting and mixing constituents at a temperature below the melting temperature of any of the constituents comprising alumina, boric acid, alkali metal salt and a cellulating agent to form a first mixture, adding amorphous silica having particles of submicron size to said first mixture to form a second mixture, said second mixture containing more than 80 percent by weight amorphous silica and less than 3 percent by weight alkali metal oxide, and thereafter subjecting said second mixture to a temperature sufficient to coalesce said second mixture but insufficient to further homogenize said second mixture, said temperature being sufficient to gasify said cellulating agent and form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 33

A method of making a cellular body from a high borosilicate composition comprising, comminuting and mixing alumina, boric oxide, an alkali metal salt and a cellulating agent in a ball mill for a sufficient period of time to form a pulverulent homogeneous mixture having an average particle size of between 1 and 4 microns, thereafter adding amorphous silica having particles of a submicron size to said pulverulent homogeneous first mixture to form a second mixture, said second mixture containing more than 80 percent by weight amorphous silica and less than 3 percent by weight alkali metal oxide, milling said second mixture in a ball mill for a sufficient period of time to form a pulverulent homogeneous second mixture, positioning a preselected quantity of said pulverulent homogeneous second mixture in a mold, subjecting said mold to an initial temperature of about 1200° C. for a sufficient period of time for said pulverulent homogeneous second mixture to attain a carbon fixation temperature, thereafter subjecting said mold to a cellulating temperature of about 1390° C. for a sufficient period of time to coalesce but insufficient to further homogenize said pulverulent homogeneous mixture, said temperature being sufficient to gasify said cellulating agent and form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 34

A method of making a cellular body from a high borosilicate composition comprising, comminuting and mixing alumina, boric oxide, an alkali metal salt and a cellulating agent in a ball mill for a sufficient period of time to form a pulverulent homogeneous mixture having an average particle size of between 1 and 4 microns, thereafter adding amorphous silica having particles of a submicron size to said pulverulent homogeneous first mixture to form a second mixture, said second mixture containing more than 80 percent by weight amorphous silica and less than 3 percent by weight alkali metal oxide, milling said second mixture in a ball mill for a sufficient period of time to form a pulverulent homogeneous second mixture, positioning a preselected quantity of said pulverulent homogeneous second mixture in a mold, subjecting said mold to an initial temperature of about 1200° C. for a sufficient period of time for said pulverulent homogeneous second mixture to attain a carbon fixation temperature, thereafter subjecting said mold to a cellulating temperature of about 1390° C. for a sufficient period of time to coalesce but insufficient to further homogenize said pulverulent homogeneous mixture, said temperature being sufficient to gasify said cellulating agent and form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 37

A method of making a cellular body from a high borosilicate composition comprising, mixing at ambient temperature constituents comprising amorphous silica having particles of submicron size, alumina, boric acid, an alkali metal oxide and a cellulating agent and forming a pulverulent homogeneous mixture, said mixture containing more than 80% by weight amorphous silica and less than 3% by weight alkali metal oxide, and thereafter subjecting said pulverulent homogeneous mixture to a temperature sufficient to coalesce but insufficient to further homogenize said homogeneous mixture, said temperature being sufficient to gasify said cellulating agent and form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.

Claim 38

A method of making a cellular body from a high borosilicate composition comprising, mixing at ambient temperature constituents comprising amorphous silica having particles of submicron size, alumina, boric acid, an alkali metal oxide and a cellulating agent and forming a pulverulent homogeneous mixture, said mixture containing more than 80% by weight amorphous silica and less than 3% by weight alkali metal oxide, and thereafter subjecting said pulverulent homogeneous mixture to a temperature sufficient to coalesce but insufficient to further homogenize said homogeneous mixture, said temperature being sufficient to gasify said cellulating agent and form a cellular body having a substantially uniform cell structure.