Abstract:
Methods are described to make strong, tough, and/or lightweight glass-ceramic composites having a crystalline phase and an amorphous phase generated by viscous reaction sintering of a complex mixture of oxides and other materials. The present invention further relates to strong, tough, and lightweight glass-ceramic composites that can be used as proppants and for other uses.
Abstract:
A process for producing a porous ceramic body comprises a) mixing a coated porogen with a silicate or a oxide ceramic precursor, wherein the porogen is decomposable to gaseous decomposition products and optionally solid products upon heating, and is coated with a coating agent; b) forming a green body from the mixture obtained in step (a); and c) firing the green body obtained in step (b) to obtain the ceramic body, whereby the porogen decomposes to form pores within the ceramic body and the coating agent is deposited at the inner surface of the pores. The porogen is coated with a coating agent which, upon firing, is deposited at the inner surface of the ceramic pores, so that porous ceramics having decreased weight and improved porosity are obtained, while maintaining at the same time good mechanical strength. A green body and a porous ceramic body obtainable with the above-mentioned process are described too.
Abstract:
A hydrogen permeable membrane is disclosed. The membrane is prepared by forming a mixture of metal oxide powder and ceramic oxide powder and a pore former into an article. The article is dried at elevated temperatures and then sintered in a reducing atmosphere to provide a dense hydrogen permeable portion near the surface of the sintered mixture. The dense hydrogen permeable portion has a higher initial concentration of metal than the remainder of the sintered mixture and is present in the range of from about 20 to about 80 percent by volume of the dense hydrogen permeable portion.
Abstract:
A nanoparticles-containing composite porous body according to the present invention includes a porous body having a solid skeleton and pores and nanoparticles of an inorganic substance. The nanoparticles are carried on the solid skeleton without coagulating together or being chemically bonded to the skeleton. The nanoparticles may be coated with organic aggregates and carried as composite particles on the solid skeleton. As the organic aggregates, spherical organic aggregates such as a spherical protein or a dendrimer are preferably used. Also, the organic aggregates may be decomposed and removed if necessary.
Abstract:
A lightweight, high-strength proppant is disclosed, comprising the formation of finely dispersed ceramic precursors and sintering at low temperatures, causing the formation and retention of mesopores and micropores in pelletized ceramic. A method of manufacturing such a proppant is also disclosed, comprising the steps of manufacturing finely divided ceramic precursors and additives using grinding, milling, and preferably sol-gel processes, and dispersing the finely divided ceramic precursors and additives in a liquid, preferably water. The dispersion has a viscosity profile, which permits the shaping of spheres using conventional pelletizing techniques. Drying of the pellets and sintering at temperatures below 1,400.degrees. C. forms and retains mesopores and micropores in the ceramic. Preferred total pore volumes range from 0.05 to 0.7 cm.sup.3/g. The pelletized and porous ceramic is useful as lightweight and high-strength proppants.
Abstract:
A method of producing an open, porous structure having an outer surface defining a shape having a bulk volume and having interconnecting openings extending throughout said volume and opening through said surface, and products resulting from the method. The method comprises preparing a viscous mixture comprising a sinterable powder dispersed in a sol of a polymer in a primary solvent, replacing the primary solvent with a secondary liquid in which the polymer is insoluble to produce a gel comprising an open polymeric network having the sinterable powder arranged therein, removing the secondary liquid from the gel; removing the polymer network, and sintering the sinterable powder to form the open, porous structure. Also disclosed are shaped, porous products resulting from methods of the invention.
Abstract:
A dense, self-sintered silicon carbide/carbon-graphite composite material and a process for producing the composite material is disclosed. The composite material comprises a silicon carbide matrix, between 2 and 30 percent by weight carbon-graphite, and small amounts of sintering aids such as boron and free carbon. The silicon carbide has an average grain size between 2 and 15 .mu.m, and the carbon-graphite has an average grain size between 10 and 75 .mu.m, the average grain size of the carbon-graphite being greater than the average grain size of the silicon-carbide. The composite material has a density of at least 80 percent of theoretical density as determined by the rule of mixtures for a composite material. This density is achieved with minimal microcracking at a high graphite loading with large graphite particles. The composite material exhibits good lubricity and wear characteristics, resulting in improved tribological performance. The process for producing the composite material uses a carbon-bonded graphite comprising at least 5 percent by weight carbon-precursor binder.
Abstract:
Composite ceramic materials and a method of the same are disclosed, in which a ceramic material mainly containing silicon nitride, and at least one compound selected from a group consisting of nitrides, carbides, borides, silicides, oxides and oxynitrides of elements belonging to IIIa, IIIb, IVa, IBb, Va, VIa and VIII are combined to form a sintered body, and particles and whiskers of the ceramic material and compound are interlocked with each other and fixed so that the sintered body has a porosity of 5 to 30%. In the above composite ceramics, the particle of the compound are coupled with each other through the whisker or particle of the ceramic material. Accordingly, the composite ceramics are small in charge rate of size due to sintering, and are excellent in tenacity, heat resisting property and thermal shock resisting property. Further, the resistivity of the sintered body can be varied by changing the mixture ratio of ceramic material and compound.
Abstract:
A process for preparing ceramic moldings containing no organic matter with retention of their original shapes which comprises mixing 100 parts by weight of ceramic powders and/or fibers, 0.1 to 50 parts by weight of papermaking organic fibers and/or wet-end additives and 3 to 200 parts by weight of mountain leather, molding the resulting mixture to obtain an unburned molding having enough mechanical strength to withstand molding processings and, subjecting the unburned molding to burning treatment.
Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a porous ceramic media that may include a chemical composition, a phase composition, a total open porosity content of at least about 10 vol. % and not greater than about 70 vol. % as a percentage of the total volume of the ceramic media, and a nitric acid resistance parameter of not greater than about 500 ppm. The chemical composition for the porous ceramic media may include SiO2, Al2O3, an alkali component and a secondary metal oxide component selected from the group consisting of an Fe oxide, a Ti oxide, a Ca oxide, a Mg oxide and combinations thereof. The phase composition may include an amorphous silicate, quartz and mullite.