Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of producing a boron carbide/titanium diboride composite ceramic powder comprising the ordered steps of: (a) intimately mixing as reactants boron carbide and a titanium source such that the average reactant particle size is less than about 20 microns in diameter and there are substantially no individual discrete reactant areas greater than about 50 microns; and (b) reacting the product of step (a) under conditions sufficient to produce a boron carbide/titanium diboride composite ceramic powder wherein said boron carbide is used in stoichiometric excess with respect to said titanium source, and at least a portion of the boron carbide particles form substrates to which at least a portion of the titanium diboride particles are attached.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of producing a boron carbide/titanium diboride composite ceramic powder comprising the ordered steps of: (a) intimately mixing as reactants boron carbide and a titanium source such that the average reactant particle size is less than about 20 microns in diameter and there are substantially no individual discrete reactant areas greater than about 50 microns; and (b) reacting the product of step (a) under conditions sufficient to produce a boron carbide/titanium diboride composite ceramic powder wherein said boron carbide is used in stoichiometric excess with respect to said titanium source, and at least a portion of the boron carbide particles form substrates to which at least a portion of the titanium diboride particles are attached.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of deagglomerating at least one of the reactants prior to mixing by jet-milling or ball-milling the reactant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the intimate mixing is done using aqueous media.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 3 wherein a dispersant is added to the aqueous media.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the intimate mixing is done by a dry mixing method.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the dry mixing method is ball-milling or agitation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the boron carbide is selected from the group consisting of B 4 C, B 8 C, B 13 C 2 , B 25 C and mixtures thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the titanium source is a reducible titanium source selected from the group consisting of TiO, TiO 2 , Ti 2 O 3 , Ti 3 O 5 , TiC, TiN, reduced titanium halides and mixtures thereof, and a reducing agent is also mixed as a reactant in step (a).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the reducing agent is a carbon source, a hydrogen source, or a mixture thereof selected from the group consisting of elemental carbon, a hydrocarbon, a carbohydrate and mixtures thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the titanium source is a reduced titanium source selected from the group consisting of Ti and TiH 2 .
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the intimate mixing is done such that the average reactant particle size is less than about 10 microns in diameter and substantially all of the individual discrete reactant areas are less than about 25 microns in diameter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the intimate mixing is done such that the average reactant particle size is less than about 1 micron in diameter and substantially all of the individual discrete reactant areas are less than about 10 microns in diameter.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the heating is done at a temperature above about 1000° C.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the heating is done at a temperature from about 1600° C. to about 1750° C.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the heating is done under an inert or reaction-compatible atmosphere selected from the group consisting of argon, helium, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the ceramic composite powder comprises from about 0.1 to about 99.9 weight percent boron carbide and the balance is titanium diboride.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of densifying the composite ceramic powder to form a densified part.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said powder consists essentially of between about 25 and about 80 weight percent boron carbide and between about 20 and about 75 weight percent titanium diboride.