US5735332A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for making a ceramic metal composite
Assignee: Coorstek Inc
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Filing: 1997-02-03
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Granted: 1998-04-07
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Expires: 2017-02-03
Abstract
Abstract The present invention is directed to a process for fabricating ceramic-metal composites having continuous ceramic and metal phases. The process includes the steps of contacting a porous ceramic matrix material with a molten metal whereby capillary action pulls the metal into the ceramic matrix to substantially fill the void space. The present invention also provides a ceramic-metal composite having continuous metal and ceramic phases.
Inventors
- 👤 Marcus A. Ritland
- 👤 Dennis W. Readey
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 14:53
CPC Classifications
C; C04; C04B; C04B41/00; C04B41/80; C04B41/81; C04B41/89; B; B01; B01D; B01D29/00; B01D29/11; B01D29/111; B01D29/31; B01D63/00; B01D63/06; B01D63/066; C04B41/009; C04B41/45; C04B41/50; C04B41/51; C04B41/5127; C04B41/52; C04B41/85; C04B41/88; C22; C22C; C22C1/00; C22C1/10; C22C1/1005; C22C1/1015; C22C1/1036; C22C1/1057; C22C1/1063; C22C29/00; C22C29/12; F; F02; F02F; F02F3/00; C04B2111/00; C04B2111/00474; C04B2111/00793; F05; F05C; F05C2201/00; F05C2201/04; F05C2201/0403; F05C2201/0415; F05C2203/00; F05C2203/08; F05C2203/0865; F05C2203/0895; F05C2253/00; F05C2253/16; H; H05; H05K; H05K1/00; H05K1/02; H05K1/03; H05K1/0306; H05K2201/00; H05K2201/01; H05K2201/0104; H05K2201/0116; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/12; H05K2203/128
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
A method for making a ceramic-metal composite, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a green body comprising a ceramic powder; (b) sintering said green body until a sintered ceramic having a predetermined average pore size is obtained; and (c) infiltrating said ceramic with a molten metal, wherein said molten metal comprises oxygen, such that capillary action of the sintered ceramic pulls said molten metal into said sintered ceramic such that substantially all of the volume percent porosity is filled with the molten metal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
83 words
A method for making a ceramic-metal composite, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a green body comprising a ceramic powder; (b) sintering said green body until a sintered ceramic having a predetermined average pore size is obtained; and (c) infiltrating said ceramic with a molten metal, wherein said molten metal comprises oxygen, such that capillary action of the sintered ceramic pulls said molten metal into said sintered ceramic such that substantially all of the volume percent porosity is filled with the molten metal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said ceramic powder comprises a metal oxide powder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said ceramic powder comprises a metal oxide powder selected from the group consisting of alumina, magnesia, titania, nickel oxide and iron oxide.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said ceramic powder comprises material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, titanium diboride and aluminum nitride.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said molten metal comprises copper.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said sintering step comprises the step of sintering at a temperature in the range of from about 1300° C. to about 1600° C. in an atmosphere comprising hydrogen chloride.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of vapor phase coating said ceramic to alter the ceramic interfacial free energy.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of doping said molten metal with a dopant to alter the interfacial free energy characteristics of the molten metal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said infiltrating step comprises the step of infiltrating said molten metal into said ceramic in a vacuum.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said infiltrating step comprises the step of contacting at least a portion of said ceramic with at least a portion of said molten metal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said porosity is in the range of from about 10 percent to about 80 percent and said average pore size is in the range of from about 1 micrometers to about 10 micrometers.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said ceramic/metal composite has a strength of at least about 110 ksi.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
126 words
A method of making a ceramic-metal composite material, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a green body comprising a ceramic powder; (b) sintering said green body until a ceramic of desired average pore size and porosity is obtained, and wherein said porosity is in the range of from about 10 volume percent to about 80 volume percent and said average pore size is in the range of from about 1 micrometers to about 10 micrometers; (c) doping a quantity of molten metal with a dopant comprising oxygen to alter the interfacial free energy characteristics of the molten metal; and (d) infiltrating said ceramic with said molten metal by capillary action such that substantially 100 percent of the volume percent porosity is filled with the molten metal.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
126 words
A method of making a ceramic-metal composite material, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a green body comprising a ceramic powder; (b) sintering said green body until a ceramic of desired average pore size and porosity is obtained, and wherein said porosity is in the range of from about 10 volume percent to about 80 volume percent and said average pore size is in the range of from about 1 micrometers to about 10 micrometers; (c) doping a quantity of molten metal with a dopant comprising oxygen to alter the interfacial free energy characteristics of the molten metal; and (d) infiltrating said ceramic with said molten metal by capillary action such that substantially 100 percent of the volume percent porosity is filled with the molten metal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said metal oxide powder is alumina powder.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said molten metal is molten copper.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said dopant is a copper oxide.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said sintering step is performed at a temperature in the range of from about 1300° C. to about 1600° C. in an atmosphere comprising at least about 0.25 atm hydrogen chloride gas.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising the step of vapor phase coating said ceramic with an oxide coating to alter the ceramic interfacial free energy.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method as recited in claim 13, wherein said infiltrating step comprises contacting a portion of said ceramic to a portion of said molten metal.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
73 words
A method for making a ceramic-metal composite, comprising the steps of: (a) forming an alumina ceramic body having substantially interconnected porosity in the range of from about 10 volume percent to about 80 volume percent; (b) heating a metal comprising copper metal and copper oxide to substantially melt said copper metal; and (c) contacting said alumina ceramic body with said heated metal in a vacuum to infiltrate said metal into said alumina ceramic.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
73 words
A method for making a ceramic-metal composite, comprising the steps of: (a) forming an alumina ceramic body having substantially interconnected porosity in the range of from about 10 volume percent to about 80 volume percent; (b) heating a metal comprising copper metal and copper oxide to substantially melt said copper metal; and (c) contacting said alumina ceramic body with said heated metal in a vacuum to infiltrate said metal into said alumina ceramic.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 20, wherein said alumina ceramic body is a filter element and said copper infiltrates a portion of said filter element.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as recited in claim 20, wherein said heated metal infiltrates into said alumina ceramic by capillary action.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-04-06 | 2001-10-06 | 2002-04-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-04-06 | 2005-10-06 | 2006-04-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-04-06 | 2009-10-06 | 2010-04-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |