Patent US5114693A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US5114693A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Process for the production of silicon nitride and product made according to the process

Assignee: Alzchem Trostberg GmbH
•
Filing: 1991-05-09
•
Granted: 1992-05-19
•
Expires: 2011-05-09
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The present invention provides a process for the production of silicon nitride by the reaction of silicon and nitrogen, wherein, in one reaction step, silicon powder is reacted with nitrogen which continuously rotates at a temperature of from 1000° to 1800° C. and at a pressure of from 1.01 to 1.8 bar up to a nitrogen content of 1 to 39.5% by weight. The present invention also provides a silicon nitride produced by this process wherein it is obtained in porous form and has the following properties. a) grain size of 0.1 to 20 mm. b) nitrogen content of 1 to 39.5% by weight, c) oxygen content of 1%, d) ratio of α:β-phase of 1:9 to 9:1.

Inventors

  • 👤 Jochen Hintermayer
  • 👤 Ernst Graf
  • 👤 Werner Gmohling
  • 👤 Georg Schroll
  • 👤 Wolfgang Kobler

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 18:51
CPC Classifications
C; C01; C01B; C01B21/00; C01B21/06; C01B21/068; C01B21/0682; C04; C04B; C04B35/00; C04B35/515; C04B35/58; C04B35/584; C01P; C01P2004/00; C01P2004/50; C01P2006/00; C01P2006/14

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 93 words
A process for the production of silicon nitride by the reaction of silicon and nitrogen, said process comprising the step of: reacting silicon powder having a particle size of less than 45 microns and a silicon content of at least 95% with nitrogen while said silicon is continuously rotated at a temperature of from 1000° C. to 1800° C. and at a pressure of from 1.01 to 1.8 bar to produce silicon nitride having a nitrogen content of from 1 to 39.5% by weight and a ratio of α:β-phase of 1:9 to 9:1.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 93 words
A process for the production of silicon nitride by the reaction of silicon and nitrogen, said process comprising the step of: reacting silicon powder having a particle size of less than 45 microns and a silicon content of at least 95% with nitrogen while said silicon is continuously rotated at a temperature of from 1000° C. to 1800° C. and at a pressure of from 1.01 to 1.8 bar to produce silicon nitride having a nitrogen content of from 1 to 39.5% by weight and a ratio of α:β-phase of 1:9 to 9:1.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 24 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the reaction is carried out up to a nitrogen content of from 5 to 25% by weight.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 16 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the reaction is carried out in a rotating tube.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 21 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein a silicon powder is used with a grain size of less than 20 microns.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 19 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein a silicon powder is used with a silicon content greater than 97.5%.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 26 words
A process according to claim 1 wherein said step of reacting silicon powder With nitrogen is continued for a period of from 2 to 60 minutes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 80 words
The process of claim 1, wherein said step of reacting silicon powder with nitrogen is further characterized in that said step is allowed to continue only up to the production of a partly nitrided product having a nitrogen content of from 5 to 25% by weight and after said step of reacting silicon powder with nitrogen said process further includes the step of reacting the partly nitrided product at a temperature of 1100° C. to 1600° C. with nitrogen gas.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 60 words
The process of claim 7 wherein the step of reacting said partly nitrided product is further characterized in that said partly nitrided product is reacted with a mixture of nitrogen and an inert gas, wherein the concentration of said nitrogen and said inert gas in said mixture change as said step of reacting said partly nitrided product continues to completion.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 26 words
The process according to claim 8 wherein said step of reacting the partly nitrided product is carried out in a chamber furnace in a stationary bed.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 27 words
The process of claim 8 wherein said step of reacting said partly nitrided product is further characterized in that said inert gas in said mixture is argon.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 54 words
The process of claim 8 wherein the step of reacting the partly nitrided product is further characterized in that the proportion of nitrogen in said mixture is adjusted to 30 to 70% by volume and increased to 100% by volume of nitrogen as said step of reacting the partly nitrided product continues to completion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 29 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the step of reacting silicon powder with nitrogen is carried out up to a nitrogen content of from 5 to 25% by weight.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 10 words
Silicon nitride produced according to the process of claim 1.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 10 words
Silicon nitride produced according to the process of claim 7.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 10 words
Silicon nitride produced according to the process of claim 7.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

DE252597C Cited
JPH03151603A Cited
JPH03170203A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-05-19 1995-11-18 1996-05-19 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-05-19 1999-11-18 2000-05-19 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-05-19 2003-11-18 2004-05-19 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag