Abstract: A method for improving thermal efficiency of a heating device that reduces an amount of heat flowing out from a heating device 11 to the outside by installing a heat-resistant inorganic conjugated molded product 16 in and along a pathway 15 for heated gas generated from the heating device 11 without interrupting the flow of heated gas passing the pathway 15, heating the inorganic conjugated molded product 16 with the heated gas, and putting radiation heat from the heated inorganic conjugated molded product 16 back into the heating device 11, the inorganic conjugated molded product 16 being provided with an interior layer and an exterior layer, the exterior layer consisting of a coverture for inorganic materials that protects the interior layer from heated gas.

Abstract: A method for improving thermal efficiency of a heating device that reduces an amount of heat flowing out from a heating device 11 to the outside by installing a heat-resistant inorganic conjugated molded product 16 in and along a pathway 15 for heated gas generated from the heating device 11 without interrupting the flow of heated gas passing the pathway 15, heating the inorganic conjugated molded product 16 with the heated gas, and putting radiation heat from the heated inorganic conjugated molded product 16 back into the heating device 11, the inorganic conjugated molded product 16 being provided with an interior layer and an exterior layer, the exterior layer consisting of a coverture for inorganic materials that protects the interior layer from heated gas.

Abstract: A thermal efficiency improvement device 10 for a heating furnace is installed in an exhaust port 12 of the heating furnace to reduce effluent heat from the exhaust port 12 to the outside. The device 10 disposed along a flow of exhaust gas passing inside the exhaust port 12 includes at least one heat-resistant fabric members 15, 16 heated by exhaust gas and supporting members 13, 14, 17, 18, 19 fixing the fabric members 15, 16 to the exhaust port 12, and puts radiant heat from the heated fabric members 15, 16 back into the heating furnace to reduce effluent heat to the outside. By installing the device in an exhaust port of an existing or newly-built heating furnace, radiant heat from the fabric members heated by exhaust gas is put back into the heating furnace, and effluent heat from the exhaust port is reduced.

Abstract: A fiber-bond type ceramic material 4 is produced by using as raw material fibers 1 inorganic fibers of Si—M—C—O synthesized by melt spinning polycarbosilane, then infusibilizing the produced threads, and firing the set threads, forming from the raw material fibers a woven fabric 2 having all the fibers thereof extended perpendicularly or obliquely relative to the direction of compression during the course of a hot-press fabrication at a weaving step 12, heat-treating the woven fabric in the air, thereby preparing a woven fabric of oxidized fibers 3 provided with an oxide layer on the surface thereof at an oxidizing step 14, and subjecting the woven fabric of oxidized fibers to a hot-press fabrication while compressing the fabric in the direction of the compression thereby causing the oxide layers on the surface to adhere fast to each other and form a matrix at a hot-press step 16.

Abstract: A reinforcement for composite materials is disclosed, which comprises a number of filaments of inorganic long fiber and glass and/or glass ceramic present in the gaps among the filaments and having a wire or tape form. Also disclosed is a metallic or ceramic composite material composed of a plurality of the reinforcements and a metal or intermetallic compound or ceramic which is present in the gaps among the individual reinforcements.

Abstract: A reinforcement for composite materials is disclosed, which comprises a number of filaments of inorganic long fiber and glass and/or glass ceramic present in the gaps among the filaments and having a wire or tape form. Also disclosed is a metallic or ceramic composite material composed of a plurality of the reinforcements and a metal or intermetallic compound or ceramic which is present in the gaps among the individual reinforcements.

Abstract: An inorganic fiber sinter consists essentially of (a) an inorganic substance (I) selected from the group consisting of (i) an amorphous substance consisting essentially of Si, M, C and O, (ii) an agglomerate consisting essentially of crystalline ultrafine particles of .beta.-SiC, MC, a solid solution of .beta.-SiC with MC and/or MC.sub.1-x, and amorphous SiO.sub.2 and MO.sub.2, and (iii) a mixture of the above amorphous substance (i) and the agglomerate (ii), and (b) an inorganic substance (II) selected from the group consisting of (iv) an amorphous substance consisting essentially of Si, M and O, (v) a crystal agglomerate consisting essentially of crystalline SiO.sub.2 and MO.sub.2, and (iv) a mixture of the amorphous substance (iv) and the crystal agglomerate (v), wherein M is Ti or Zr and x is a number of more than 0 to less than 1.

Abstract: Silicon-containing carbide fibers having high strength and modulus of elasticity, and polymer compositions for production thereof. These fibrers are inexpensive and very useful as reinforcing fibers for composite materials comprising plastics, carbon, metals, etc. as a matrix. These polymer compositions are also useful as a matrix of the above composite materials.

Abstract: An inorganic fiber having excellent properties as a reinforcement for metals, plastics and rubbers, which has a surface layer portion and an inner layer portion, the surface layer portion having a composition continuously changing from the inner layer portion to the fiber surface, and which is composed of a basic constituent unit of;(1) an amorphous substance composed of silicon, carbon, either titanium or zirconium, and oxygen,(2) an aggregate composed of;crystalline fine particles formed of at least one selected from the group consisting of .beta.-SiC, MC, a solid solution of .beta.-SiC and MC, and MC.sub.1-x, and having a particle diameter of not more than 50 nm,amorphous SiO.sub.2, andMO.sub.2, or(3) a mixture of the above amorphous substance (1) with the above aggregate (2),wherein M is titanium or zirconium and x is greater than 0 and less than 1,the inorganic fiber having an inner layer portion comprising 40 to 60% by weight of silicon, 20 to 40% by weight of carbon, 0.

Abstract: The high-strength and high-toughness sinter of the present invention includes a crystal agglomerate maintaining a fibrous shape and composed of crystals of SiC and MC.sub.1-x wherein M is Ti and/or Zr and x is a number of 0 or more but less than 1. This sinter is produced by laminating an inorganic fiber of a particular inorganic material containing titanium and/or zirconium molding the laminate into a predetermined shape, and conducting heat-sintering simultaneously with the molding or after the molding in an atmosphere of a vacuum, an inert gas, a reducing gas, or a hydrocarbon gas at a temperature of 1,700 to 2,200.degree. C.

Abstract: This invention provides an electromagnetic wave absorbing material composed of a composite material comprising a fiber having a specific resistance of 10.sup.-2 to 10.sup.2 .OMEGA..cm and a matrix, wherein the fiber is composed of an inorganic substance selected from the group consisting ofi) an amorphous substance substantially composed of Si, M, C and O,ii) crystalline ultrafine particles substantially composed of .beta.-SiC, C, MC, a solid solution of .sym.-SiC and MC and/or MC.sub.1-x, and having a particle diameter of not more than 500 .ANG., or optionally, an aggregate of the crystalline ultrafine particles, amorphous SiO.sub.2 and amorphous MO.sub.2, andiii) a mixture of the above i) amorphous substance with the above ii) crystalline ultrafine particles or aggregate in which M denotes Ti or Zr, and X is more than 0 but less than 1.

Abstract: The high-strength and high-toughness sinter of the present invention comprises a crystal agglomerate maintaining a fibrous shape and composed of crystals of SiC and MC.sub.1-x wherein M is Ti and/or Zr and X is a number of 0 or more but less than 1. This sinter is produced by laminating an inorganic fiber comprising a particular inorganic material containing titanium and/or zirconium molding the laminate into a predetermined shape, and conducting heat-sintering simultaneously with the molding or after the molding in an atmosphere comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of a vacuum, an inert gas, a reducing gas, and a hydrucoarbon gas at a temperature of 1,700.degree. to 2,200.degree. C.

Abstract: A fiber and fibrous material for producing composite materials, fiber-reinforced metals, fiber-reinforced plastics and fiber-reinforced ceramics, in which short fibers, whiskers or powders made of heat resistant material are deposited on continuous fibers made of heat resistant material.The composite materials, such as fiber-reinforced metals, plastics, and ceramics, contain the fibrous material in a matrix, and have improved control of the fiber volume ratio and mechanical characteristics. Processes for producing the fiber, fibrous materials and composite materials are also disclosed.

Abstract: A reinforcing inorganic fiber composed of an internal layer and a surface layer, whereinsaid internal layer is composed of an inorganic material containing silicon, either titanium or zirconium, carbon and oxygen which is(i) an amorphous material consisting substantially of Si, M, C and O, or(ii) an aggregate consisting substantially of ultrafine crystalline particles with a particle diameter of not more than 500 .ANG. of .beta.-SiC, MC, a solid solution of .beta.-SiC and MC and MC.sub.1-x, wherein M represents titanium or zirconium, and x is a number represented by 0<x<1, or(iii) a mixture of the amorphous material (i) and the aggregate (ii), andsaid surface layer is composed of an inorganic material consisting of silicon, either titanium or zirconium, and oxygen and optionally not more than 5% by weight of carbon which is(iv) an amorphous material consisting substantially of Si, M and O,(v) an aggregate composed of crystalline SiO.sub.2 and MO.sub.

Abstract: A hybrid fiber-reinforced plastic composite material comprising a matrix of a plastic and hybrid fibers consisting of inorganic fibers and at least one kind of fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, glass fibers, boron fibers, aramide fibers and silicon carbide fibers having a carbon core, wherein(a) the inorganic fibers are inorganic fibers containing silicon, either titanium or zirconium, carbon and oxygen and being composed of(i) an amorphous material consisting substantially of Si, M, C and O where M represents Ti or Zr, or(ii) an aggregate consisting substantially of ultrafine crystalline particles with a particle diameter of not more than 500 .ANG. of .beta.-SiC, MC, a solid solution of .beta.-SiC and MC and MC.sub.1-x, and amorphous SiO.sub.2 and MO.sub.2, where M is as defined and x is a number represented by 0<x<1, or(iii) a mixture of the amorphous material (i) and the aggregate (ii),(b) the composite material has an interlayer shear strength of at least about 9 kg/mm.sup.

Abstract: An inorganic fibrous material for reinforcing composite materials, said fibrous material composed of a central layer and a surface layer, whereinthe surface layer is formed of an inorganic material composed of(i) an amorphous material consisting substantially of Si, M, C and O, wherein M is Ti or Zr, or(ii) an aggregate consisting substantially of ultrafine crystalline particles of beta-SiC, MC, a solid solution of beta-SiC and MC, and MC.sub.1-x having a particle diameter of not more than 500 .ANG. wherein M is as defined above and x is a number represented by 0<x<1, and optionally containing amorphous SiO.sub.2 and MO.sub.2, or(iii) a mixture of the amorphous material (i) and the aggregate (2), andthe central layer is formed of an inorganic material other than said inorganic material; and a process for production thereof.

Abstract: Continuous inorganic fibers consisting substantially of Si, Zr and C and optionally of O, said fibers being composed of (1) an amorphous material consisting substantially of Si, Zr and C and optionally of O, or (2) an aggregate consisting substantially of ultrafine crystalline particles of .beta.-SiC, ZrC, a solid solution of .beta.-SiC and ZrC and ZrC.sub.1-x wherein O<x<1 and having a particle diameter of not more than 500 .ANG., in which amorphous SiO.sub.2 and ZrO.sub.2 sometimes exist in the neighborhood of these ultrafine crystalline particles, or (3) a mixture of said amorphous material (1) and said aggregate (2) of ultrafine crystalline particles. The aforesaid continuous inorganic fibers can be produced by the following steps: a first step of preparing a semi-inorganic block copolymer comprising polycarbosilane blocks having a main chain skeleton composed mainly of carbosilane units of the formula --Si--CH.sub.

Abstract: An inorganic fiber-reinforced metallic composite material comprising a matrix of a metal or its alloy and inorganic fibers as a reinforcing material, characterized in that(a) the inorganic fibers are inorganic fibers containing silicon, either titanium or zirconium, nitrogen and oxygen and being composed of(i) an amorphous material consisting substantially of Si, M, N and O, or(ii) an aggregate consisting substantially of ultrafine crystalline particles with a particle diameter of not more than 500 .ANG. of Si.sub.2 N.sub.2 O, MN, Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 and/or MN.sub.1-x, and amorphous SiO.sub.2 and MO.sub.2, provided that in the above formulae, M represents titanium or zirconium, and x is a number represented by 0<x<1, or(iii) a mixture of the amorphous material (i) and the aggregate (ii), and(b) said metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, and titanium, or(c) said alloy is selected from the group consisting of aluminum alloys, magnesium alloys and titanium alloys.

Abstract: An inorganic fiber-reinforced ceramic composite material comprising a matrix of a ceramic and inorganic fibers as a reinforcing material, characterized in that(a) the inorganic fibers are specified inorganic fibers containing silicon, either titanium or zirconium, carbon and oxygen,(b) the ceramic is at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbides, nitrides, oxides, glass ceramics, graphite and specified inorganic materials containing silicon, either titanium or zirconium, carbon and oxygen,(c) the inorganic fibers have an initial reaction degradation speed of not more than 0.35 kg/mm.sup.2.sec.sup.

Abstract: An inorganic fiber-reinforced metallic composite material comprising a matrix of a metal or its alloy and inorganic fibers as a reinforcing material, characterized in that(a) the inorganic fibers are inorganic fibers containing silicon, either titanium or zirconium, carbon and oxygen and being composed of(i) an amorphous material consisting substantially of Si, M, C and O, or(ii) an aggregate consisting substantially of ultrafine crystalline particles with a particle diameter of not more than 500 .ANG. of .beta.-SiC, MC, a solid solution of .beta.-SiC and MC and MC.sub.1-x, and amorphous SiO.sub.2 and MO.sub.2, provided that in the above formulae, M represents titanium or zirconium, and x is a number represented by 0<x<1, or(iii) a mixture of the amorphous material (i) and the aggregate (ii),(b) the inorganic fibers have an initial degradation speed of not more than about 0.3 kg/mm.sup.2.sec.sup.