Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
71 words
A method of forming a structure from preoxidized carbonaceous fibers, said method comprising the steps of: infusing a plurality of said fibers with a non-polar liquid plasticizer capable of extracting a tarry leachate from the infused fibers; maintaining said infused fibers in said plasticizer until said leachate forms a coating on the surfaces of said infused fibers; and diffusion bonding said plurality of infused fibers and leachate together into carbonizable structure.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
71 words
A method of forming a structure from preoxidized carbonaceous fibers, said method comprising the steps of: infusing a plurality of said fibers with a non-polar liquid plasticizer capable of extracting a tarry leachate from the infused fibers; maintaining said infused fibers in said plasticizer until said leachate forms a coating on the surfaces of said infused fibers; and diffusion bonding said plurality of infused fibers and leachate together into carbonizable structure.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said preoxidized fibers have between about 17 to 30 weight percent oxygen.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said fibers are infused until they have imbibed at least 5 and up to as much as 80 percent by weight of the plasticizer in terms of the fiber weight.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said diffusion bonding comprises a step of hot isostatically pressing said infused fibers and leachate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said carbonaceous fibers are pitch fibers formed of petroleum, coal tar or acenaphthylene pitch.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said fibers are preoxidized pitch fibers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as defined in claim 6 wherein said plasticizer is quinoline.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said non-polar liquid plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of benzene, substituted benzenes, pyridine, quinoline, and quinoline derivatives.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as defined in claim 1 including a step of heating said carbonizable structure at a temperature and for a time sufficient to carbonize said carbonizable structure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as defined in claim 9 wherein said steps of diffusion bonding and heating are carried out concurrently.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method as defined in claim 10 wherein said steps of diffusion bonding and heating comprise pressing said plurality of infused fibers and leachate together at a pressure sufficient to consolidate said fibers and leachate into said carbonizable structure, and providing a temperature gradient at said pressure to raise the temperature of said structure to a level sufficient to pyrolize said fibers and leachate to carbonize said carbonizable structure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as defined in claim 11 wherein said pressure is substantially isostatic.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as defined in claim 9 including the step of heat treating the carbonized structure in an inert atmosphere at a temperature and for a time sufficient to convert said carbonized structure to substantially a graphitic structure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said diffusion bonding comprises a step of extrusion molding said infused fibers and leachate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as defined in claim 1 wherein said preoxidized carbonaceous fibers have an oxygen content of between about 17 and 30 weight percent.