Rapid-setting formable mixtures and method of making and using same

• US 5,925,308 A
• Filed: 07/28/1997
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Frances M., Wu, Lung-Ming, Fewkes, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DERRINGTON, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US08/900,163
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 264/623, 264/630, 264/670, 419/36, 419/37, 419/65, 524/404, 524/413, 524/424, 524/428, 524/439, 524/440, 524/441, 524/442, 524/443, 524/444, 524/445, 524/446
• US Class Current: 264/623
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/10 Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/22 for producing castings from a slip
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/225 by injection molding
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00129 Extrudable mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/634 Polymers C04B35/636 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/63404 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/63416 Polyvinylalcohols [PVA]; Polyvinylacetates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/63424 Polyacrylates; Polymethacrylates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/63488 Polyethers, e.g. alkylphenol polyglycolether, polyethylene glycol [PEG], polyethylene oxide [PEO]
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/0006 Honeycomb structures from one or more corrugated sheets by winding or stacking C04B38/0083

Abstract

A method of producing a formable mixture involves combining a powder material, and a plurality of gel-forming polymers, wherein at least one gel-forming polymer is a proton donor, and at least one gel forming polymer is a proton acceptor. A method of making a monolithic structure involves producing a formable mixture of powder material which can be ceramic, metal, glass, glass ceramic, molecular sieve and combinations thereof, a plurality of gel-forming polymers as described above, extruding the mixture to form a green monolithic structure, and drying and firing the green structure.

Claims

1. A method of producing a formable mixture the method comprising combining a powder material, and a plurality of gel-forming polymers, wherein at least one gel-forming polymer is a proton donor, and at least one gel forming polymer is a proton acceptor, at a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce a ratio of storage modulus to loss modulus of 1. whereby said gel-forming polymers form a gel by hydrogen bonding when combined with each other.

2. A method of claim 1 wherein the powder material is selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, glass, glass ceramic, molecular sieve and combinations thereof.

3. A method of claim 1 wherein the proton donor component is selected from the group consisting of polymers of acrylic acids, copolymers of acrylic acids, polyvinyl alcohol, copolymers of polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof.

4. A method of claim 3 wherein the proton donor component is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, polymethylacrylic acid, polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof.

5. A method of claim 1 wherein the proton acceptor is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide, copolymers of polyethylene oxide, polyvinylpyrollidone, copolymers of polyvinylpyrollidone, polyvinyl alcohol, copolymers of polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof.

6. A method of claim 1 wherein the proton donor is polyacrylic acid and the proton acceptor is polyethylene oxide.

7. A method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of shaping the mixture into a monolithic structure.

8. A method of claim 7 wherein the mixture is shaped by extrusion.

9. A method of claim 8 wherein the mixture is extruded into a honeycomb structure.

10. A method of making a monolithic structure, the method comprising:

a) producing a formable mixture comprising powder material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, metal, glass, glass ceramic, molecular sieve and combinations thereof, a plurality of gel-forming polymers, wherein at least one gel-forming polymer is a proton donor, and at least one gel forming polymer is a proton acceptor, at a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce a ratio of storage modulus to loss modulus of 1, whereby said gel-forming polymers form a gel by hydrogen bonding when combined with each other;

b) extruding the mixture to form a green monolithic structure;

c) drying the green structure; and

d) firing the green structure to form the final monolithic structure.

11. A method of claim 10 wherein the proton donor component is selected from the group consisting of polymers of acrylic acids, copolymers of acrylic acids, polyvinyl alcohol, copolymers of polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof.

12. A method of claim 11 wherein the proton donor component is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, polymethylacrylic acid, polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof.

13. A method of claim 10 wherein the proton acceptor is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide, copolymers of polyethylene oxide, polyvinylpyrollidone, copolymers of polyvinylpyrollidone, polyvinyl alcohol, copolymers of polyvinyl alcohol, and combinations thereof.

14. A method of claim 10 wherein the proton donor is polyacrylic acid and the proton acceptor is polyethylene oxide.

15. A method of claim 10 wherein the mixture is extruded into a honeycomb structure.