Ceramic foams
First Claim
1. A rigid ceramic foam structure containing therein a shaped cavity, said ceramic foam structure comprising a reticulated body defining interlacing substantially hollow ligaments derived from precursor metal ligaments, said hollow ligaments interconnected randomly in three dimensions, the external surfaces of said ligaments defining open channels interconnected randomly in three dimensions, and said hollow ligaments comprising an interconnected polycrystalline oxidation reaction product of said precursor metal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Ceramic foams in which the open cells are connected by a three-dimensional, substantially continuous ceramic matrix formed of interconnected hollow ligaments, are made from an open-cell, reticulated precursor metal, i.e. a metal foam. The precursor metal first is treated so as to allow a support coating to form thereon, and thereafter the coated precursor is heated above the melting point of the metal in the presence of an oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product.
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Citations
20 Claims
- 1. A rigid ceramic foam structure containing therein a shaped cavity, said ceramic foam structure comprising a reticulated body defining interlacing substantially hollow ligaments derived from precursor metal ligaments, said hollow ligaments interconnected randomly in three dimensions, the external surfaces of said ligaments defining open channels interconnected randomly in three dimensions, and said hollow ligaments comprising an interconnected polycrystalline oxidation reaction product of said precursor metal.
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10. A method of producing a ceramic foam structure containing therein a shaped cavity comprising:
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(a) providing a precursor metal foam body containing therein said shaped cavity, said precursor metal foam body comprised of metallic ligaments interconnected randomly in three dimensions to constitute an open-cell reticulated structure, the external surfaces of said ligaments defining open channels interconnected randomly in three dimensions; (b) treating said precursor metal foam body, at a temperature below the melting point of said metal, for forming on the surface of said ligaments a support coating which maintains the integrity of the open-cell structure when said body is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the metal; (c) heating the treated body in the presence of an oxidant to a temperature above the melting point of the metal but below the melting point of an oxidation reaction product of the precursor metal and the oxidant to melt the precursor metal and reacting said molten precursor metal with the oxidant to form the oxidation reaction product within and optionally beyond said support coating, to form an open-cell ceramic foam structure comprising the open-cell reticulated structure of said metal body; and (d) cooling said body and recovering said ceramic foam structure. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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- 18. A ceramic foam structure comprising interconnected hollow ligaments defining open channels which are three-dimensionally interconnected, said hollow ligaments comprising an oxidation reaction product of a parent metal comprising aluminum and an oxygen-containing gas.
Specification