Cellular ceramic bodies and method making same

Claim 1

A cellular ceramic body of high mechanical strength and exhibiting a density of less than 15 lbs./ft 3 consisting essentially of the ion exchange product of a large cation donor and a synthetic, lithium and/or sodium, water-swelling mica wherein the lithium and/or sodium ions on the mica surface are essentially replaced by the large cations, and the mica being selected from the group of fluorhectorite, hydroxyl hectorite, boron fluorphlogopite, hydroxyl boron phlogopite, and solid solutions among those and between those and other structurally-compatible species selected from the group of talc, fluortalc, polylithionite, fluorpolylithionite, phlogopite, and fluorphlogopite.

Claim 18

A method for preparing a cellular ceramic body of high mechanical strength and exhibiting a density of less than 15 lbs/ft 3 which comprises the steps of: (a) forming a crystal-containing gel from a synthetic, lithium and/or sodium, water-swelling mica selected from the group of fluorhectorite, hydroxyl hectorite, boron fluorphlogopite, hydroxyl boron phlogopite, and solid solutions among those and between those and other structurally-compatible species selected from the group of talc, fluortalc, polylithionite, fluorpolylithionite, phlogopite, and fluorphlogopite, said gel containing about 2.5-25% by weight solids; (b) subjecting the gel to high shear blending action; (c) adding a surfactant in an amount of about 0.1-2% by weight of said gel to cause bubble formation leading to the development of a froth as the gel is sheared; (d) while blending, adding a source of an exchangeable large cation as an ion donor to cause an ion exchange reaction to take place between the large cations of said donor and the lithium and/or sodium ions of said lithium and/or sodium, water-swelling mica, thereby producing a frothed gel containing ion-exchanged mica crystals; (e) delivering said frothed, ion-exchanged gel from the blender to form a body of desired configuration; (f) allowing the ion exchange to proceed to essential completion, thereby thickening and setting the gel to a solid body; and then, (g) drying said body.

Claim 19

A method for preparing a cellular ceramic body of high mechanical strength and exhibiting a density of less than 15 lbs/ft 3 which comprises the steps of: (a) forming a crystal-containing gel from a synthetic, lithium and/or sodium, water-swelling mica selected from the group of fluorhectorite, hydroxyl hectorite, boron fluorphlogopite, hydroxyl boron phlogopite, and solid solutions among those and between those and other structurally-compatible species selected from the group of talc, fluortalc, polylithionite, fluorpolylithionite, phlogopite, and fluorphlogopite, said gel containing about 2.5-25% by weight solids; (b) subjecting the gel to high shear blending action; (c) adding a surfactant in an amount of about 0.1-2% by weight of said gel to cause bubble formation leading to the development of a froth as the gel is sheared; (d) while blending, adding a source of an exchangeable large cation as an ion donor to cause an ion exchange reaction to take place between the large cations of said donor and the lithium and/or sodium ions of said lithium and/or sodium, water-swelling mica, thereby producing a frothed gel containing ion-exchanged mica crystals; (e) delivering said frothed, ion-exchanged gel from the blender to form a body of desired configuration; (f) allowing the ion exchange to proceed to essential completion, thereby thickening and setting the gel to a solid body; and then, (g) drying said body.