Ceramic aggregate particles

• US 6,881,483 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2004
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Wood, William P., McArdle, James L., Culler, Scott R.
• Primary Examiner(s): KILIMAN, LESZEK B
• Application Number:
  US10/776,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 433 Days
• Field of Search: 428/403, 428/404, 428/406, 428/407, 451/41, 451/526, 451/533, 451/534, 451/540, 512/35, 512/36, 513/07, 513/08, 513/09
• US Class Current: 428/403
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 18/00 Manufacture of grinding tools or other grinding devices, e.g. wheels, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 3/04 and being essentially inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 3/06 metallic or mixture of metals with ceramic materials, e.g. hard metals, "cermets", cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3206 Magnesium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3218 Aluminium (oxy)hydroxides, e.g. boehmite, gibbsite, alumina sol
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3224 Rare earth oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. scandium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3225 Yttrium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3227 Lanthanum oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3272 Iron oxides or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. hematite, magnetite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3275 Cobalt oxides, cobaltates or cobaltites or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bismuth cobaltate, zinc cobaltite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/443 Nitrates or nitrites
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5427 millimeter or submillimeter sized, i.e. larger than 0,1 mm
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5472 Bimodal, multi-modal or multi-fraction
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6021 Extrusion moulding
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/77 Density
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/00 Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition porous ceramic products C04B38/00; ceramic articles characterised by particular shape, see the relevant classes, e.g. linings for casting ladles, tundishes, cups or the like B22D41/02; ceramic substrates for microelectronic semi-conductors H01L23/15; Ceramics compositions containing free metal bonded to carbides, diamond, oxides, borides, nitrides, silicides, e.g. cermets, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides or sulfides other than as macroscopic reinforcing agents C22C; shaping of ceramics B28B; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products chemical preparation of powders of inorganic compounds C01; infiltration of sintered ceramic preforms with molten metal C04B41/51
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/1115 Minute sintered entities, e.g. sintered abrasive grains or shaped particles such as platelets abrasives C09K3/14
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/44 based on aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/622 Forming processes; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/62815 Rare earth metal oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/62886 : by wet chemical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6303 : Inorganic additives
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6316 : Binders based on silicon compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 3/1409 : Abrasive particles per se preparation of diamond C01B32/25
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 3/1427 : obtained by division of a mass agglomerated by melting, at least partially, e.g. with a binder
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 3/1436 : Composite particles, e.g. coated particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 : Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2991 : Coated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2993 : Silicic or refractory material containing [e.g., tungsten oxide, glass, cement, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2996 : Glass particles or spheres
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2998 : including synthetic resin or polymer

Abstract

Ceramic aggregate particles comprising a plurality of solid particulates bonded together by ceramic binding material and methods of providing a plurality of such particles having substantially uniform cross-sectional shape are provided. The ceramic aggregate particles may incorporate a high percentage of solid particulates. The ceramic binding material may closely conform to the outermost surfaces of the solid particulates contained within the ceramic aggregate particle. When abrasive particulates are employed as the solid particulates, abrasive articles can be made which provide consistent high cut rates and consistent surface finish over relatively long periods of time.

Claims

1. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles

said particles comprising a plurality of solid particulates bonded together by ceramic binding material, wherein the plurality of solid particulates have an average particle size in the range from about 0.5 microns to about 1500 microns and the ceramic binding material and plurality of solid particulates are separate phases;

and

wherein a majority of said plurality of ceramic aggregate particles have a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape.

2. The plurality of ceramic aggregate particles of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the solid particulates are abrasive particulates having particle sizes between about 125 microns and 1500 microns.

3. The plurality of ceramic aggregate particles of claim 2, wherein the abrasive particulates are selected from the group consisting of fused aluminum oxide, ceramic aluminum oxide, white fused aluminum oxide, heat treated aluminum oxide, silica, silicon carbide, green silicon carbide, alumina zirconia, diamond, ceria, cubic boron nitride, garnet, tripoli, or combinations thereof.

4. The plurality of ceramic aggregate particles of claim 1, wherein a major portion of the ceramic aggregate particles have an aspect ratio greater than one.

5. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 1, wherein a major portion of the ceramic aggregate particles are rod-shaped.

6. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic binding material comprises ceramic binder selected from the group consisting of crystalline ceramic binder, non-crystalline ceramic binder, and combinations thereof.

7. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 6, wherein the crystalline ceramic binder is selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, alumina-zirconia, aluminum silicate, magnesium aluminate, magnesium silicate, boron carbide, silicon carbide, silicon-aluminum-oxynitride, titanium carbide, boron nitride, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum nitride, titanium boride, calcium phosphate, and combinations thereof.

8. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 6, wherein the non-crystalline ceramic binder is selected from the group consisting of fused silica, alkali silicate glass, alkaline earth silicate glass, lead silicate glass, borosilicate glass, aluminosilicate glass, aluminophosphate glass, and combinations thereof.

9. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 6, wherein the ceramic binding material comprises a combination of crystalline ceramic binder and non-crystalline ceramic binder and is selected from the group consisting of lithium aluminosilicate glass ceramic, magnesium aluminosilicate glass ceramic, fluoromica silicate glass ceramic, porcelain, earthenware, stoneware, and combinations thereof.

10. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 1, wherein a major portion of the ceramic aggregate particles have a circular cross-sectional shape.

11. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 1, wherein a major portion of the ceramic aggregate particles have a polygonal cross-sectional shape.

12. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 1, wherein a major portion of the ceramic aggregate particles have surface connected porosity.

13. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 1, wherein a major portion of the ceramic aggregate particles have no appreciable surface connected porosity.

14. An abrasive article including:

binder material; and

a plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 2, secured within said article by said binder material.

15. A coated abrasive comprising:

a backing having a major surface; and

an abrasive layer comprising a plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 2, secured to said major surface of said backing by binder material.

16. A nonwoven abrasive article comprising:

a porous lofty polymer filament structure having a plurality of ceramic aggregate particles according to claim 2, distributed throughout the structure and bonded therein by an organic binder.

17. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles comprising a plurality of solid particulates bonded together by ceramic binding material, wherein the ceramic aggregate particles have a ceramic binder volume to solid particulate volume ration in the range from about 0.2 to about 2.0 and the ceramic aggregate particles have a substantially uniform cross sectional shape.

18. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles comprising a plurality of solid particulates bonded together by ceramic binding material, wherein the ceramic aggregate particles have a ceramic binder volume to solid particulate volume ration in the range from about 0.2 to about 2.0 and wherein a major portion of the ceramic aggregate particles have a circular cross-sectional shape.

19. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles comprising a plurality of solid particulates bonded together by ceramic binding material, wherein the ceramic aggregate particles have a ceramic binder volume to solid particulate volume ration in the range from about 0.2 to about 2.0 and wherein a major portion of the ceramic aggregate particles have a polygonal cross-sectional shape.

20. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles comprising a plurality of solid particulates bonded together by ceramic binding material, wherein the ceramic aggregate particles have a ceramic binder volume to solid particulate volume ration in the range from about 0.2 to about 2.0 and wherein a major portion of said particles have surface connected porosity.

21. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles comprising a plurality of solid particulates bonded together by ceramic binding material, wherein the ceramic aggregate particles have a ceramic binder volume to solid particulate volume ration in the range from about 0.2 to about 2.0 and wherein said ceramic binder comprises, on a theoretical oxide basis, at least 95 percent by weight Al₂O₃, based on the total metal oxide content of said ceramic binder.

22. A plurality of ceramic aggregate particles comprising a plurality of solid particulates coated and bonded together by a ceramic binding material, wherein the ceramic binding material coats each exterior surface of the solid particulate, with a coating such that the exterior surface of the aggregate particle closely conforms to the outermost surfaces of the solid particulates therein, and wherein the thickness of the binding material coating the outermost surfaces is no greater than about 0.05 microns to 150 microns.