Patents Represented by Law Firm Fish & Rochardson
  • Patent number: 5376599
    Abstract: Carbon fiber reinforced silicon nitride based nanocomposite material is produced by mixing a powder mixture of silicon nitride powders (with or without alumina powders), and fine silicon carbide powders, with a solution of a preceramic polymer containing silicon and nitrogen, to form a solution for impregnation, by passing carbon fibers through the solution to produce a mass of impregnated carbon fibers, forming the mass to a desired shape and by sintering in an inert atmosphere. Ultra-high strength and toughness are produced due to reinforcement by nanocompositization of the matrix phase, that by dispersion of fine particles and that by long carbon fibers, part of matrix phase is generated by thermal cracking of preceramic polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignees: Noritake Co., Limited, Koichi Niihara
    Inventors: Kenji Oshima, Tsugio Ito, Yoshitsugu Kato, Koichi Niihara, Atsushi Nakahira, Misao Iwata