Abstract:
Methods are described to make strong, tough, and lightweight whisker-reinforced glass-ceramic composites through a self-toughening structure generated by viscous reaction sintering of a complex mixture of oxides. The invention further relates to strong, tough, and lightweight glass-ceramic composites that can be used as proppants and for other uses.
Abstract:
A ceramic body (20), as well as a hot-pressing method or a sintering to full density method of making the ceramic body (20). The hot-pressed ceramic body (20) contains between about 15 and about 35 volume percent of a boron carbide phase, and at least about 50 volume percent of alumina. The sintered to full density ceramic body (20) contains between about 15 and about 50 volume percent of a boron carbide phase and at least about 50 volume percent alumina. The substrate (21) further includes at least one of the following components (a) through (b) wherein the sum of the amounts of components (a) and (b) is equal to an effective amount to achieve full densification wherein components (a) and (b) include (a) a metal component including one or more of aluminum, magnesium and zinc; and (b) a reduction component containing carbon.
Abstract:
A ceramic body (20), as well as a hot-pressing method or a sintering to full density method of making the ceramic body (20). The hot-pressed ceramic body (20) contains between about 15 and about 35 volume percent of a boron carbide phase, and at least about 50 volume percent of alumina. The sintered to full density ceramic body (20) contains between about 15 and about 50 volume percent of a boron carbide phase and at least about 50 volume percent alumina. The substrate (21) further includes at least one of the following components (a) through (b) wherein the sum of the amounts of components (a) and (b) is equal to an effective amount to achieve full densification wherein components (a) and (b) include (a) a metal component including one or more of aluminum, magnesium and zinc; and (b) a reduction component containing carbon.
Abstract:
An extrusion method and apparatus are described for producing ceramics, glass, glass-ceramics, or composites suitable for use as proppants. The method includes forming one or more green body materials, extruding the green body materials to form a green body extrudate, separating and shaping the green body extrudate into individual green bodies, and sintering the green bodies to form proppants. The apparatus includes a means for forming an intimate mixture of green body materials, means to produce a green body extrudate, means for separating and shaping the green body extrudate into individual green bodies, and means to sinter the green green bodies to form proppants.
Abstract:
A method of increasing mean time between cleans of a plasma etch chamber and chamber parts lifetimes is provided. Semiconductor substrates are plasma etched in the chamber while using at least one sintered silicon nitride component exposed to ion bombardment and/or ionized halogen gas. The sintered silicon nitride component includes high purity silicon nitride and a sintering aid consisting of silicon dioxide. A plasma processing chamber is provided including the sintered silicon nitride component. A method of reducing metallic contamination on the surface of a silicon substrate during plasma processing is provided with a plasma processing apparatus including one or more sintered silicon nitride components. A method of manufacturing a component exposed to ion bombardment and/or plasma erosion in a plasma etch chamber, comprising shaping a powder composition consisting of high purity silicon nitride and silicon dioxide and densifying the shaped component.
Abstract:
An extrusion method and apparatus are described for producing ceramics, glass, glass-ceramics, or composites suitable for use as proppants. The method includes forming one or more green body materials, extruding the green body materials to form a green body extrudate, separating and shaping the green body extrudate into individual green bodies, and sintering the green bodies to form proppants. The apparatus includes a means for forming an intimate mixture of green body materials, means to produce a green body extrudate, means for separating and shaping the green body extrudate into individual green bodies, and means to sinter the green green bodies to form proppants.
Abstract:
Methods are described to make strong, tough, and lightweight whisker-reinforced glass-ceramic composites through a self-toughening structure generated by viscous reaction sintering of a complex mixture of oxides. The invention further relates to strong, tough, and lightweight glass-ceramic composites that can be used as proppants and for other uses.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to lightweight high strength microsphere containing ceramic particles having controlled microsphere placement and/or size and microsphere morphology, which produces an improved balance of specific gravity and crush strength such that they can be used in applications such as proppants to prop open subterranean formation fractions. Proppant formulations are further disclosed which use one or more microsphere containing ceramic particles of the present invention. Methods to prop open subterranean formation fractions are further disclosed. In addition, other uses for the microsphere containing ceramic particles of the present invention are further disclosed, as well as methods of making the microsphere containing ceramic particles.
Abstract:
An extrusion method and apparatus are described for producing ceramics, glass, glass-ceramics, or composites suitable for use as proppants. The method includes forming one or more green body materials, extruding the green body materials to form a green body extrudate, separating and shaping the green body extrudate into individual green bodies, and sintering the green bodies to form proppants. The apparatus includes a means for forming an intimate mixture of green body materials, means to produce a green body extrudate, means for separating and shaping the green body extrudate into individual green bodies, and means to sinter the green green bodies to form proppants.
Abstract:
Methods are described to make strong, tough, and lightweight whisker-reinforced glass-ceramic composites through a self-toughening structure generated by viscous reaction sintering of a complex mixture of oxides. The invention further relates to strong, tough, and lightweight glass-ceramic composites that can be used as proppants and for other uses.