摘要:
A process for bulk conversion of a solid polycrystalline ceramic body to a single crystal body which comprises heating only a portion of said polycrystalline ceramic body with a localized energy source, without melting the entire said polycrystalline ceramic body, at a temperature and for a time sufficient to convert said polycrystalline ceramic body to said single crystal body. In one embodiment of the invention, a dense polycrystalline alumina (PCA) article is converted to sapphire via a solid state conversion process. A CO₂ laser energy source has been successfully employed as a localized energy source.
摘要:
A solid state process for the bulk conversion of a dense polycrystalline ceramic body to a single crystal body has been accomplished by heating the polycrystalline material to a temperature above one-half of the melting temperature of the material but below the melting point of the material. As the process is a solid state process, no melting of the ceramic body is necessary to convert it to a single crystal. The process has been used to convert a dense polycrystalline alumina body (PCA) containing less than 100 wppm of magnesia to sapphire (single crystal alumina) by heating the PCA to temperatures above 1100°C but below 2050°C, the melting point of alumina.
摘要:
Polycrystalline alumina bodies have been converted to sapphire by a solid state conversion process in which a localized energy source is used to heat only a portion of the body to a temperature above 1800 DEG C. Using a laser as the energy source resulted in conversion to sapphire in less than an hour. The polycrystalline alumina bodies had a magnesia content below 50 wppm, an average grain size below 100 microns, and a density greater than 3.97 g/cc.
摘要:
An arc tube (14) of fused silica for a metal halide arc discharge lamp including a fill for the arc tube comprised of a sodium halide, at least one additional metal halide, and an inert starting gas, the arc tube (14) including a tube of fused silica having an inner wall defining an arc chamber, the inner wall of the tube having provided thereon a metal silicate coating (14a) which is vitreous and light-transmissive, and which is comprised of a silicate of at least one metal selected from the group consisting essentially of scandium, yttrium, and a rare earth element, and preferably which is the same metal as that of the at least one additional metal halide. Protection of the fused silica arc tube (14) with the metal silicate coating reduces loss of the metallic portion of the fill by diffusion or reaction and corresponding buildup of free halogen in the arc tube (14).
摘要:
A high transmittance polycrystalline alumina arc tube for a metal halide discharge lamp is formed by treating an alumina arc tube material having a few percent of closed porosity in a two step process, which provides a high-transmittance arc tube. An initially porous arc tube is formed by extruding or die pressing individual components of the tube from a mixture which includes powdered alumina, assembling the components into an arc tube body, and then partially sintering the components to seal them together. The two step process includes hot isostatic pressing of the partially sintered arc tube and then chemically polishing the surface of the tube. The first, pressing step involves heating the alumina arc tube in an inert atmosphere, such as argon, at a temperature of 1600 to 1900°C and a pressure of about 700 to 2100 kg/sq.cm. for from about one to three hours. This reduces porosity in the crystalline structure. In the second step, the surface of the tube is immersed in a flux comprising a molten alkali metal borate at moderately elevated temperatures, or coated with a flux material which is heated to form the flux, to remove surface imperfections. The finished arc tube has transmittance values which approach those of single crystal sapphire arc tubes.
摘要:
A solid state method of converting a polycrystalline ceramic body to a single crystal body includes the steps of doping the polycrystalline ceramic material with a conversion-enhancing dopant and then heating the polycrystalline body at a selected temperature for a selected time sufficient to convert the polycrystalline body to a single crystal. The selected temperature is less than the melting temperature of the polycrystalline material and greater than about one-half the melting temperature of the material. In the conversion of polycrystalline alumina to single crystal alumina (sapphire), examples of conversion-enhancing dopants include cations having a +3 valence, such as chromium, gallium, and titanium. The polycrystalline body further can be inhomogeneously doped to form a first portion of the polycrystalline body that is doped to the selected level of the conversion-enhancing dopant and a second portion that is not doped such that heating the doped polycrystalline body causes conversion of first portion to a single crystal structure and the second portion retains a polycrystalline structure.
摘要:
A high transmittance polycrystalline alumina arc tube for a metal halide discharge lamp is formed by treating an alumina arc tube material having a few percent of closed porosity in a two step process, which provides a high-transmittance arc tube. An initially porous arc tube is formed by extruding or die pressing individual components of the tube from a mixture which includes powdered alumina, assembling the components into an arc tube body, and then partially sintering the components to seal them together. The two step process includes hot isostatic pressing of the partially sintered arc tube and then chemically polishing the surface of the tube. The first, pressing step involves heating the alumina arc tube in an inert atmosphere, such as argon, at a temperature of 1600 to 1900°C and a pressure of about 700 to 2100 kg/sq.cm. for from about one to three hours. This reduces porosity in the crystalline structure. In the second step, the surface of the tube is immersed in a flux comprising a molten alkali metal borate at moderately elevated temperatures, or coated with a flux material which is heated to form the flux, to remove surface imperfections. The finished arc tube has transmittance values which approach those of single crystal sapphire arc tubes.
摘要:
A solid state process for the bulk conversion of a dense polycrystalline ceramic body to a single crystal body has been accomplished by heating the polycrystalline material to a temperature above one-half of the melting temperature of the material but below the melting point of the material. As the process is a solid state process, no melting of the ceramic body is necessary to convert it to a single crystal. The process has been used to convert a dense polycrystalline alumina body (PCA) containing less than 100 wppm of magnesia to sapphire (single crystal alumina) by heating the PCA to temperatures above 1100 DEG C but below 2050 DEG C, the melting point of alumina.
摘要:
A solid state process for the bulk conversion of a dense polycrystalline ceramic body to a single crystal body has been accomplished by heating the polycrystalline material to a temperature above one-half of the melting temperature of the material but below the melting point of the material. As the process is a solid state process, no melting of the ceramic body is necessary to convert it to a single crystal. The process has been used to convert a dense polycrystalline alumina body (PCA) containing less than 100 wppm of magnesia to sapphire (single crystal alumina) by heating the PCA to temperatures above 1100°C but below 2050°C, the melting point of alumina.
摘要:
A solid state method of converting a polycrystalline ceramic body to a single crystal body includes the steps of doping the polycrystalline ceramic material with a conversion-enhancing dopant and then heating the polycrystalline body at a selected temperature for a selected time sufficient to convert the polycrystalline body to a single crystal. The selected temperature is less than the melting temperature of the polycrystalline material and greater than about one-half the melting temperature of the material. In the conversion of polycrystalline alumina to single crystal alumina (sapphire), examples of conversion-enhancing dopants include cations having a +3 valence, such as chromium, gallium, and titanium. The polycrystalline body further can be inhomogeneously doped to form a first portion of the polycrystalline body that is doped to the selected level of the conversion-enhancing dopant and a second portion that is not doped such that heating the doped polycrystalline body causes conversion of first portion to a single crystal structure and the second portion retains a polycrystalline structure.