Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
277 words
A method for manufacturing a ceramic body for use under thermal stress operating conditions, comprising the following steps: (a) providing a first plane film made of a matrix material holding a carbon material content within the range of 50% to 80% by weight of said matrix material, said first plane film being in a still deformable state, (b) providing a second profiled film also made of material including a carbon material content within said range, said second profiled film also being in a deformable state, (c) arranging said first plane film on one side of said second profled film to form hollow spaces between said first and second films, (d) bonding said first and second films to each other at bonding locations where said first and second films contact each other to form an intermediate member in which said hollow spaces are located between adjacent bonding locations, (e) shaping said intermediate member into a desired final shape, (f) curing the final shape, (g) heating the final shape in an enclosed heater to a temperature within the range of 600° C. to 1000° C. while excluding air from said heater, said temperature being sufficient for coking or carbonizing said carbon material to provide a carbonized final form, (h) exposing said carbonized final form to a silicon containing substance, which upon further heating will be decomposed to leave elementary silicon metal, (i) and then further heating said carbonized final form including said silicon material to a temperature in the range of 1350° C. to 1800° C. sufficient to react the carbon material and the silicon metal to product silicon carbide (SiC) as an integral component of said ceramic body.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
277 words
A method for manufacturing a ceramic body for use under thermal stress operating conditions, comprising the following steps: (a) providing a first plane film made of a matrix material holding a carbon material content within the range of 50% to 80% by weight of said matrix material, said first plane film being in a still deformable state, (b) providing a second profiled film also made of material including a carbon material content within said range, said second profiled film also being in a deformable state, (c) arranging said first plane film on one side of said second profled film to form hollow spaces between said first and second films, (d) bonding said first and second films to each other at bonding locations where said first and second films contact each other to form an intermediate member in which said hollow spaces are located between adjacent bonding locations, (e) shaping said intermediate member into a desired final shape, (f) curing the final shape, (g) heating the final shape in an enclosed heater to a temperature within the range of 600° C. to 1000° C. while excluding air from said heater, said temperature being sufficient for coking or carbonizing said carbon material to provide a carbonized final form, (h) exposing said carbonized final form to a silicon containing substance, which upon further heating will be decomposed to leave elementary silicon metal, (i) and then further heating said carbonized final form including said silicon material to a temperature in the range of 1350° C. to 1800° C. sufficient to react the carbon material and the silicon metal to product silicon carbide (SiC) as an integral component of said ceramic body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature of said first heating step (g) is sufficient to burn out of said first and second films any materials other than said carbon content.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising impregnating said carbonized final form with a suitable carbon containing material for further carbonizing said final form to increase the carbon material content within said range of carbon material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1, comprising using fiber reinforced films still in a deformable state as said first and second films.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1, comprising interconnecting a plurality of such intermediate members to each other prior to said curing step.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
79 words
The method of claim 1, further comprising covering the other side of said profiled second film with a still deformable third film similar to the first plane film of a material also containing a carbon content to thereby sandwich said second film between said first and third films to form further hollow spaces between said second and third films, and further bonding said second and third film to each other prior to said curing step of said final shape.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 6, comprising using as said first, second, and third still deformable films, sheets of thermoplastic or thermosetting materials having a carbon content within the range of 50% by weight to 65% by weight of the sheets.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 6, comprising using as said first, second and third still deformable films, sheets of organic fibers impregnated with a resin including a carbon content within the range of 60% by weight to 80% by weight of the resin.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 6, comprising using as said first, second and third still deformable films, sheets of inorganic material impregnated with a resin including a carbon content within the range of 60% by weight to 80% by weight of the resin.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
The method of claim 9, further comprising using as said first, second and third still deformable films, sheets of thermoplastic resin or of thermosetting resin, and adding to said thermoplastic or thermosetting resin prior to making said sheets, a proportion of silicon carbide powder in the range of 100% by weight to 300% by weight of the thermoplastic or thermosetting resin.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising using as said first, second and third still deformable films, sheets of resin impregnated materials, and adding to said resin, prior to impregnating said materials, a proportion of silicon carbide powder in the range of 50% by weight to 150% by weight of said resin.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising using as said first, second and third still deformable films, sheets made of a mixture of thermoplastic or thermosetting material, and a proportion of short fibers in the range of 5% by weight to 40% by weight of the thermoplastic or thermosetting material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 6, further comprising preparing said first, second and third still deformable films by laminating a thermoplastic or thermosetting material to a substrate and then making said first film plane and profiling said second film and third films.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 13 wherein said substrate is formed of an organic or inorganic material.