Abstract: Dielectric coating compositions are provided. The dielectric coating compositions generally include an aqueous binder, an inorganic nanoparticle, and a solvent, and can be formulated for specific printing methods, such as inkjet printing. The dielectric coating compositions are curable to provide scratch resistant coatings useful as insulating layers.

Abstract: Composite materials include a steel matrix with reinforcing carbon fiber integrated into the matrix. The composite materials have substantially lower density than steel, and are expected to have appreciable strength. Methods for forming composite steel composites includes combining a reinforcing carbon fiber component, such as a woven polymer, with steel nanoparticles and sintering the steel nanoparticles in order to form a steel matrix with reinforcing carbon fiber integrated therein.

Abstract: A method for cleaning a ceramic component includes generating a computer solid model of a component, converting the computer solid model to a stereo-lithographic instruction file, and preparing the component in a stereo-lithography machine in response to the stereo-lithographic instruction file. The method further includes providing an amount of solvent, where a residue left from preparing the component is at least partially soluble in the solvent. The method includes immersing at least part of the component in the solvent, heating the solvent in a liquid state, and reducing a pressure of the solvent sufficiently to boil the solvent. The method further includes heat-curing the component.

Abstract: Composite materials and methods for making composites are provided. The method includes providing a nano-particulate-depletable material that includes a plurality of nano-particulates on or within a depletable material; positioning the nano-particulate-depletable material on or within a structural material; and depleting the depletable material such that the nano-particulates are selectively placed on or within the structural material. Depletion may include infusion of a resin into the structural material. The depletable material may be a polymeric foam, and the nano-particulates may be carbon nanotubes.

Abstract: Ceramic porous and non-porous articles are made by a process that includes a hardening step in which a fluid-containing ceramic composition is exposed to a solvent in which the fluid in the composition is soluble before the ceramic composition is solidified into the final ceramic article.

Abstract: Carbon particles, such as, carbon fibrils and carbon nanotube molecules, may be assembled into substantially pure aligned fibers by a) dispersing the carbon particles within a curable liquid, b) aligning the carbon particles by flowing the mixture of curable liquid and carbon particles down a tapering tube, and c) curing the flowing mixture of curable liquid and carbon particles in the general vicinity of the end of the tapering tube to form a fiber. The curable liquid may be cured using ultraviolet light. The solidified mixture may be further processed by d) heating the fiber so as to cause the volatile elements of the solidified curable liquid portion to substantially dissipate from the fiber, e) twisting the fiber to increase its density, f) heating the fiber to sinter the carbon particles within the fiber, and g) cladding the fiber. The resulting fiber may then be spooled onto a take-up drum.

Abstract: A process for producing hollow bodies comprising fiber-reinforced ceramic materials, in which a green body comprising compressible cores and a mouldable composition comprising binders and fiber material which is pressed with compression of the core is produced, the green body is cured and carbonized and pyrolysed by heating in a nonoxidizing atmosphere and, if desired, the body is silicized, hollow bodies produced in this way and their use, in particular as brake and clutch disks

Abstract: The present invention provides a sintered silicon carbide jig production method capable of simply increasing the purity of a sintered silicon carbide jig. A method of producing a sintered silicon carbide jig comprising a process in which a second sintered body is heated at a temperature rising rate of 3 to 5° C./min up to heating treatment temperature selected in the range of 2200 to 2300° C. under an argon atmosphere, kept at the same heating treatment temperature for 3 hours, and cooled at a temperature lowering rate of 2 to 3° C./min down to 1000° C.

Abstract: An improvement in a method of forming ceramic articles comprising an oil component or extrusion aid, the improvement including removing a substantial portion of the oil component, prior to firing, by applying a solvent to the green ceramic article to dissolve the oil component.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a green ceramic article containing organic compounds. The method involves first heating the green ceramic article to sequentially remove the organic compounds such that the organic compound with the lowest weight loss onset temperature is substantially removed prior to the next higher weight loss onset temperature organic compound. The organic compounds include but are not limited to at least an oil or oil-based compound having a flash point or an ignition temperature, higher than the weight loss onset temperature. For this system the temperature during heating is maintained below the flash point of the oil or oil-based compound until substantial removal thereof from the green ceramic structural body. After the organic compounds are substantially removed, the green ceramic article is further fired to a temperature and for a time to obtain a final fired body.

Abstract: There are provided a porous honeycomb structure body capable of satisfying a pressure loss and isostatic strength which are mutually contradictory properties simultaneously and a method for manufacturing the same. In a porous honeycomb structure body having partition walls which contain cordierite as a primary crystal phase and have a porosity of 40 to 75% and an average pore diameter of 10 to 50 &mgr;m, porosity and an average pore diameter in a center portion of the structure body are made larger than porosity and an average pore diameter in a peripheral portion of the structure body.

Abstract: A ceramic material suitable for use in production of paving tiles, construction tiles, flooring in offices, flooring in machinery plants and so forth is obtained by a method comprising steps of mixing defatted bran derived from rice bran with a thermosetting resin before kneading, subjecting a kneaded mixture thus obtained to a primary firing in an inert gas at a temperature in a range of 700 to 1000° C., pulverizing the kneaded mixture after the primary firing into carbonized powders, kneading the carbonized powders with which ceramic powders, a solvent, and a binder as desired are mixed into a plastic workpiece (kneaded mass), pressure-forming the plastic workpiece at pressure in a range of 10 to 100 MPa, and subjecting a formed plastic workpiece thus obtained again to firing in an inert gas atmosphere at a temperature in a range of 100 to 1400° C.

Abstract: A method for producing agglomerated boron carbide, including the steps of providing a boron carbide powder precursor having particle sizes smaller than about 1 micron in diameter, mixing the boron carbide powder precursor with binder solution to form a slurry, drying the slurry to yield a solid residue, crushing the solid residue to yield green boron carbide particles, and firing the green boron carbide particles. The resultant agglomerated boron carbide particles have diameters generally ranging from about 5 to about 20 microns. The agglomerated boron carbide particles are characterized as boron carbide grains of about 1-2 microns in diameter suspended in a vitreous boron oxide matrix.

Abstract: A particulate silicone based material and method for forming a heat resistant composite is provided. The particulate silicone based material is heated to a temperature between about 200° F. and about 400° F. The particulate silicone based material is cooled until a solid composite is formed. The solid composite is resistant to melting and thermal decomposition when heated to temperatures of at least 3000° F. The particulate silicone based material may be formed by mixing liquid silicone resin with a catalyst and powdered silicone molding compound.

Abstract: SiC—C/C composite materials having a suitable kinetic coefficient of friction, good corrosion resistance in strongly oxidizing and corrosive environments, good creep resistance and spalling resistance, and high hardness. The materials are hardly oxidized or abraded even when exposed to high temperatures, while maintaining the excellent impact resistance and light weight of C/C composites. Molten metal pumps using the materials are provided from which components do not dissolve into the molten metal even when used in molten metal and have sufficient thermal impact resistance and oxidation resistance.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor wafer support chuck apparatus having a first sintered layer and a second sintered layer. The method comprising the steps of providing the first sintered layer having a plurality of gas distribution ports and providing the second sintered layer having a plurality of grooves. The first sintered layer is stacked on top of the second sintered layer, where a diffusion bonding layer is disposed between the first sintered layer and the second sintered layer. Thereafter, the stacked first and second sintered layers are resintered such that the diffusion bonding layer joins the first and second sintered layers together to form a semiconductor wafer support apparatus.

Abstract: A process for automatically controlling combustible vapors during debinding and firing of ceramic products which includes establishing a maximum percentage of lower flammability limit (LFL) setpoint no greater than 50%; measuring continuously the percentage of LFL in the kiln atmosphere; and, maintaining the measured percentage of LFL to be less than or equal to the maximum percentage of LFL setpoint by an action selected from the group consisting of increasing gas volume delivered to the kiln, decreasing O2 concentration in the kiln, decreasing heating rate in the firing cycle, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A honeycomb structure having, in the axial direction, a number of through-channels separated by partition walls, which honeycomb structure contains refractory particles and a vitreous component and is porous. Although the honeycomb structure contains refractory particles such as silicon carbide particles or the like, it can be produced at a relatively low firing temperature; therefore, the honeycomb structure has a low production cost and a high yield and can be provided at a low price.

Abstract: A fiber-composite material (7) is comprised of a yarn aggregate (6) in which yam (2A, 2B) including at least a bundle (3) of carbon fiber and a carbon component other than carbon fiber is three-dimensionally combined and integrally formed without separation from each other; and a matrix made of Si—SiC-based materials (4A, 4B, 5A, 5B) filled between the yarn (2A, 2B) adjacent to each other within the yarn aggregate (6).

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing a porous ceramic body, which process is based on a negative replica method. The invention further relates to a ceramic body obtainable by said method and to its use as a scaffold for tissue engineering.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing the roller carrier of a vibration balance device, the roller carrier is installed with at least one round track around a rotary axis thereof for carrying a plurality of rollers; characterized in that: the roller carrier is made of ceramic powder and made by a process of ceramic powder metallurgy. The material of the powder is A92A aluminum oxide or zirconium oxide, or other proper metal oxide. The manufacturing process of the ceramic powder metallurgy includes the steps of: feeding material, compacting, sintering, and polishing, or other manufacturing process of the ceramic powder metallurgy can be used, which includes the steps of feeding material, pelletizing, injection molding, debinding, sintering, and polishing. The roller carrier from aforementioned processes uses less materials, can be mass-produced, has a precise dimension, is light weighted, has a smooth surface and has a high surface hardness.

Abstract: A gelcasting composition has improved drying behavior, machinability and shelf life in the dried and unfired state. The composition includes an inorganic powder, solvent, monomer system soluble in the solvent, an initiator system for polymerizing the monomer system, and a plasticizer soluble in the solvent. Dispersants and other processing aides to control slurry properties can be added. The plasticizer imparts an ability to dry thick section parts, to store samples in the dried state without cracking under conditions of varying relative humidity, and to machine dry gelcast parts without cracking or chipping. A method of making gelcast parts is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a silicon nitride sintered body having characteristics such as excellent wear resistance, a method for manufacturing the sintered body, and a cutting insert formed thereof. The silicon nitride sintered body is formed of a polycrystalline sintered body of predominantly .beta.-Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, wherein the oxygen content is 1.2-1.5 wt. %. The method for manufacturing the silicon nitride sintered body includes the following steps: adding an organic binder to a composition containing silicon nitride as an essential component and exhibiting a theoretical oxygen content of 2.0-3.0 wt. %; heating to remove the binder; introducing an oxygen-containing gas so as to control the carbon content to 0.10-0.60 wt. %; and sintering a resultant compact in an nitrogen atmosphere to control the oxygen content to 1.2-1.5 wt. %. The cutting insert of the present invention has excellent wear resistance.

Abstract: 845 A method of producing a ceramic-metal-halide (CMH) discharge lamp having a monolithic seal between a sapphire (single crystal alumina) arc tube and a polycrystalline alumina end cap. The method includes the steps of providing an arc tube of fully dense sapphire and providing an end cap made of unsintered compressed polycrystalline alumina powder. The end cap is heated until it is presintered to remove organic binder material at a low temperature relative to the sintering temperature. The presintered end cap is placed on an end portion of the arc tube to form an interface therebetween. The assembled presintered end cap and arc tube are then heated to the sintering temperature wherein the end cap is fully sintered onto the arc tube and the sapphire tube grows into the end cap. A monolithic seal is formed at the previous interface between the end cap and the arc tube as the sapphire tube grows into the polycrystalline alumina end cap.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a cordierite ceramic honeycomb structural body which includes the following steps: formulating a batch of raw materials comprising a mixture of kaolin clay, talc, alumina and other cordierite-forming materials, each included in the batch in an effective amount such that the batch is capable of yielding a fired honeycomb body whose predominant crystal phase is cordierite; intimately blending the raw materials with an effective amount of vehicle and forming aids to impart plastic formability and green strength to the raw materials and to form a plastic mixture; forming the raw materials into a green honeycomb structural body by extrusion and thereafter drying and firing the green honeycomb structural body. The firing of the green honeycomb structural body is accomplished through a four-phase heating process as follows (1) heating the green body to a first temperature ranging between about 750-850.degree. C.; (2) heating to a second temperature ranging between about 1250 to 1350.degree.

Abstract: A method of making a ceramic arc tube for a metal halide lamp comprises the steps of forming as an integral unit a hollow body having one open end and a substantially closed end. The substantially closed end includes an outwardly extending capillary tube having an electrode receiving aperture therein that communicates with the hollow body. An end cap is then formed for closing the open end. The end cap comprises an annular portion and an extending capillary tube, The end cap is fitted into the open end of the hollow body to form a pre-assembly. The pre-assembly is then fired to seal the end cap to the hollow body to form an assembly and the assembly is subsequently fired to sinter the same.

Abstract: Greensheets having enhanced flexibility and strength are prepared from a greensheet casting composition comprising alumina or other ceramic having a mean particle size of less than about 1 micron and being substantially unimodal, a binder resin, a solvent system and a plasticizer. The greensheets may be formed having a thickness of about 50 microns using conventional greensheet fabricating devices. The greensheets are particularly suitable as dielectric layers for internal layer capacitors in a multilayer ceramic substrate. A preferred co-sintering heating profile to avoid blistering of the MLC package is also provided to form the capacitor containing MLC.

Abstract: A light reflective device including an insulative substrate; a silicon wafer positioned over the insulative substrate and defining an opening and having a flexible beam portion having top and bottom surfaces which extend into the opening; a layer of ferromagnetic material formed over the top surface of the flexible beam portion; a reflector formed over the ferromagnetic layer on the top surface of the flexible beam portion; and a micro-electromagnet mounted on the insulative substrate relative to the opening of the silicon wafer and adapted to produce a magnetic field in response to an applied current which acts on the ferromagnetic layer to cause the bending of the flexible beam portion, ferromagnetic layer and reflector.

Abstract: A method of firing a ceramic formed body, in which the ceramic formed body is fired by controlling a firing output state in such a manner that a high output state and a low output state are repeated reciprocally, is disclosed. In the method of firing a ceramic formed body, the improvement controls an opening angle of a burner defining the high output state, while a pulse output defining a reciprocal interval between the high output state and the low output state is maintained at constant.

Abstract: A low-cost thermal decomposition degreasing method capable of drastically reducing the time required for a degreasing process which involves heating, vaporization and thermal decomposition, while assuring the shape retention property of an injection molded product during degreasing. The degreasing process comprises: (i) a first step wherein a molded product placed under a reduced pressure less than or equal to atmospheric pressure is heated at a temperature lower than the melting point of a thermoplastic binder so that the thermoplastic binder partially evaporates by 5 wt % or more, and then the molded product is further heated at a temperature lower than higher one of the melting points of a more volatile organic compound and a thermoplastic resin whereby the thermoplastic binder further evaporates by 10 wt % or more, and wherein the final temperature is set to 200.degree. C.

Abstract: A single crystal silicon sheet is formed from a polycrystalline sheet by melting a relatively small portion of the sheet at an initial location and defining a single crystallographic orientation for the silicon by placing a small silicon seed crystal in contact with the melted silicon at the initial location. The melted portion is then moved from the initial location throughout the sheet to move impurities in the sheet to the edges of the sheet and to extend the crystallographic orientation of the silicon established at the initial location to the whole sheet, inwardly of the edges. The edges containing impurities and any remaining polycrystalline structure are removed to produce a sheet of single crystal silicon. A polycrystalline sheet may be formed by spreading a slurry of a silicon powder, a binder, and solvent on a surface and allowing the solvent to evaporate to form a sheet. The sheet is moistened to cause it to expand and sheer clear of the surface.

Abstract: A micromolded integrated ceramic light reflector which can be totally integrated with drive and control electronics embedded on the same substrate for use with image projection systems. Each light reflector can be molded to a size on the order of less than one (1) mm.sup.3 using the method of the present invention. Each light reflector includes a ceramic base element with a cavity and one surface thereof. A beam extends from one end of the cavity and cantilevers out therefrom above the cavity. The beam is made from the same ceramic as the base element and is coated with an electrically conductive ceramic coating which is also a good reflector of the visible radiation spectrum. The base of the cavity is coated with the same electrically conductive ceramic, or with a metallic coating. In either case, the coating is electrically grounded. When the beam is in its normal, undeflected position, light incident on the top surface of the beam reflects at a first angle.

Abstract: The disclosed invention is a ceramic composition and a process for forming thin tapes and bodies with minimal and controllable firing-induced shrinkage. The composition comprises a refractory component, a glass component and may also include a metal component. The glass component should have no more than about five percent of particles less than 10 microns. The glass component is not milled with the refractory component. They are briefly blended, e.g., by high shear mixing, in a manner which will preserve the particle size and particle size distribution of the glass. The resultant mixture is cast into a sheet or tape, with minimal or no pressure, dried and fired.

Abstract: A polycrystalline diamond layer is bonded to a cemented metal carbide substrate by this process. A layer of dense high shear compaction material including diamond or cubic boron nitride particles is placed adjacent to a metal carbide substrate. The particles of diamond have become rounded instead of angular due to high shear compaction in a multiple roller process. The volatiles in the high shear compaction material are removed and binder decomposed at high temperature, for example, 950.degree. C., leaving residual amorphous carbon or graphite in a layer of ultra hard material particles on the carbide substrate. The substrate and layer assembly is then subjected to a high pressure, high temperature process, thereby sintering the ultra hard particles to each other to form a polycrystalline ultra hard layer bonded to the metal carbide substrate.

Abstract: A silicon nitride reaction-sintered body having a high mechanical strength without surface working can be produced by (1) forming a silicon powder mixture of at least two types of silicon powders having substantially independent particle size distribution ranges into a green body, the silicon powder mixture having an average particle size ranging from 5 .mu.m to 300 .mu.m; (2) heating the green body in a nitrogen-containing atmosphere for nitrogenation; and (3) sintering the nitrogenated green body at a temperature of 1900.degree. C. or higher.

Abstract: In a method of firing ceramic formed bodies including a binder by using a firing furnace having one or more burners in which a firing output changes alternately between a high output state and a low output state, an air ratio of the burner is maintained at a level of more than 3 in a temperature range from a temperature at which the binder begins to burn out to a temperature at which an ignition loss reaction ends. Further, a firing apparatus has a control means for controlling the burners according to the firing method mentioned above.

Abstract: A sintered ITO compact having an ultra-high density of at least 7.08 g/cm.sup.3 is produced by a process wherein an aqueous slurry comprised of indium oxide, tin oxide, a binder, a dispersant and an aqueous medium is cast in a mold, and the thus-obtained cast green body is sintered. The aqueous slurry used is prepared by the steps of:dispersing uniformly a tin oxide powder and a dispersant in an aqueous medium to give an aqueous slurry;allowing the aqueous slurry to stand whereby coarse particles of tin oxide are sedimented;separating by decantation an upper liquid layer of the aqueous slurry containing finely divided particles of tin oxide (preferably, the secondary particle sizes of which are not larger than 4 .mu.m) and the dispersant from a lower liquid layer containing the sedimented coarse particles; and then,incorporating an indium oxide powder and a binder in the separated upper liquid layer containing finely divided tin oxide particles and the dispersant to give an aqueous slurry.