Methods for fabricating diamond film and solid fiber composite structure

• US 5,614,140 A
• Filed: 10/20/1994
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Refractory Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Crystallume Corporation
• Inventors: Pinneo, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fiorilla, Christopher A.
• Application Number:
  US08/327,468
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 264/25, 264/26, 264/81, 264/432, 427/249, 427/595, 427/585, 427/203
• US Class Current: 264/81
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/28 After-treatment, e.g. purification, irradiation, separation or recovery
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/022 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/324 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/4625 Alumina
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/4687 Non-oxide ceramics carbon or graphite fibres C04B14/386
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/427 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/667 Sintering using wave energy, e.g. microwave sintering
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 30/02 containing fibrous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/52 based on carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/64 Burning or sintering processes C04B33/32 takes precedence ; powder metallurgy B22F
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/0038 by superficial sintering or bonding of particulate matter
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/4531 by C.V.D.
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/045 Coating cavities or hollow spaces, e.g. interior of tubes; Infiltration of porous substrates
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/27 Diamond only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/274 using microwave discharges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249967 Inorganic matrix in void-containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249986 Void-containing component contains also a solid fiber or solid particle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249987 With nonvoid component of specified composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24999 Inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2933 : Coated or with bond, impregnation or core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2938 : Coating on discrete and individual rods, strands or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/298 : Physical dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 : Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31938 : Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon

Abstract

Porous and non-porous compositions include diamond particles, non-diamond particles, or mixtures of particles consolidated with polycrystalline diamond. The composite compositions of the present invention may be formed by a process which includes the steps of preforming the particles into a preform having a desired shape, and consolidating the preform with polycrystalline diamond. The polycrystalline diamond is preferably formed using CVD techniques including application of sufficient microwave energy to maintain the preform at a temperature of between about 670° and 850° C. The preform may be rotated during a portion of the deposition process.

Claims

1. A method for consolidating fibers with polycrystalline diamond, including the steps of:

preforming fibers into a preform having a desired shape; and

infiltrating said preform with polycrystalline diamond by chemical vapor deposition.

2. A method for consolidating fibers with polycrystalline diamond to form a composition having a desired porosity, including the steps of:

preforming fibers into a preform having a desired shape;

infiltrating said preform by chemical vapor deposited polycrystalline diamond in the presence of microwave energy having a magnitude sufficient to maintain said preform at a temperature between about 600° and

800°

for a time sufficient to form said composition.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the growth rate of said polycrystalline diamond is up to and including about 1% of an average size of said fibers.

4. The method of claim 2 including the further step of rotating said preform during said deposition after it has been consolidated enough to withstand rotational force.

5. A method for consolidating non-diamond fibers with polycrystalline diamond, including the steps of:

selecting non-diamond fibers compatible with diamond deposition;

preforming said non-diamond fibers into a preform having a desired shape; and

infiltrating said preform with polycrystalline diamond by chemical vapor deposition.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the growth rate of said polycrystalline diamond is up to and including about 1% of an average size of said fibers.

7. The method of claim 5 including the further step of rotating said preform during said deposition after it has been consolidated enough to withstand rotational force.

8. A method for consolidating non-diamond fibers with polycrystalline diamond, including the steps of:

selecting non-diamond fibers compatible with diamond deposition;

coating said non-diamond fibers with diamond material to form coated non-diamond fibers;

preforming the coated non-diamond fibers into a preform having a desired shape;

infiltrating said preform with chemical vapor deposited polycrystalline diamond in the presence of microwave energy having a magnitude sufficient to maintain said preform at a temperature between about 600° and

800°

for a time sufficient to form said composition.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the growth rate of said polycrystalline diamond is up to and including about 1% of an average size of said fibers.

10. The method of claim 8 including the further step of rotating said preform during said deposition after it has been consolidated enough to withstand rotational force.

11. A method for consolidating mixtures non-diamond fibers with polycrystalline diamond, including the steps of:

selecting at least two non-diamond fibers compatible with diamond deposition;

mixing a predetermined amount of said at least two non-diamond fibers to form a mixture;

preforming said mixture into a preform having a desired shape;

infiltrating said preform with polycrystalline diamond by chemical vapor deposition.

12. A method for consolidating mixtures of non-diamond fibers with polycrystalline diamond, including the steps of:

selecting at least two non-diamond fibers compatible with diamond deposition;

mixing a predetermined amount of said at least two non-diamond fibers to form a mixture;

preforming said mixture into a preform having a desired shape;

infiltrating said preform with chemical vapor deposited polycrystalline diamond in the presence of microwave energy having a magnitude sufficient to maintain said preform at a temperature between about 600° and

800°

for a time sufficient to form said composition.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the growth rate of said polycrystalline diamond is up to and including about 1% of an average size of said fibers.

14. The method of claim 12 including the further step of rotating said preform during said deposition after it has been consolidated enough to withstand rotational force.

15. A method for consolidating fibers with polycrystalline diamond, including the steps of:

(1) preforming said fibers into a preform having a desired shape;

(2) infiltrating said preform with polycrystalline diamond by chemical vapor deposition to form a consolidated article;

(3) placing additional fibers on a surface of said consolidated article to further define a volume of said consolidated article;

(4) consolidating the additional fibers into said consolidated article; and

repeating steps 3 and 4 until said consolidated article has reached a desired volume.

16. A batch process for consolidating non-diamond fibers with polycrystalline diamond, including the steps of:

(1) preforming said non-diamond fibers into a preform having a desired shape;

(2) infiltrating said preform with polycrystalline diamond by chemical vapor deposition to form a consolidated article;

(3) placing additional non-diamond fibers on a surface of said consolidated article to further define a volume of said consolidated article;

(4) consolidating the additional non-diamond fibers into said consolidated article; and

repeating steps 3 and 4 until said consolidated article has reached a desired volume.

17. A continuous process for consolidating non-diamond fibers with polycrystalline diamond, including the steps of:

preforming said non-diamond fibers into a preform having a desired shape;

infiltrating said preform with polycrystalline diamond by chemical vapor deposition to form a consolidated article;

substantially continuously placing additional non-diamond fibers on a surface of said consolidated article during said consolidation step.