Methods of making Al2O3-SiO2 ceramics

• US 7,175,786 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2003
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Anderson, Thomas J., Celikkaya, Ahmet
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin; Steven P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOPEZ, CARLOS N
• Application Number:
  US10/358,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 264/5, 264/6, 264/10, 264/12, 51307-309, 65/174, 65/211, 65/215, 65/331, 65/337
• US Class Current: 264/5
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 3/00 Physical features of abrasive bodies, or sheets, e.g. abrasive surfaces of special nature; Abrasive bodies or sheets characterised by their constituents
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 11/00 Pressing molten glass or performed glass reheated to equivalent low viscosity without blowing shaping molten glass by a press-blow process C03B9/00, e.g. C03B9/193; re-forming shaped glass C03B23/00; re-heating the performed glass C03B29/00; transporting the performed or pressed glass during its manufacture C03B35/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/06 by sintering, e.g. by cold isostatic pressing of powders and subsequent sintering, by hot pressing of powders, by sintering slurries or dispersions not undergoing a liquid phase reaction
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/102 by blowing a gas onto a stream of molten glass or onto particulate materials, e.g. pulverising
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/1025 Bead furnaces or burners
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/1045 by bringing hot glass in contact with a liquid, e.g. shattering
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/1095 Thermal after-treatment of beads, e.g. tempering, crystallisation, annealing
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 10/00 Devitrified glass ceramics, i.e. glass ceramics having a crystalline phase dispersed in a glassy phase and constituting at least 50% by weight of the total composition
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/062 with less than 40% silica by weight
• 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: C23C 4/11 Oxides

Abstract

Methods for making glasses and glass-ceramics comprising Al₂O₃ and SiO₂. Glasses made according to the present invention can be made, formed as, or converted into glass beads, articles (e.g., plates), fibers, particles, and thin coatings. Some embodiments of glass-ceramic particles made according to the present invention can be are particularly useful as abrasive particles.

Claims

1. A method for making glass, the method comprising:

feeding at least Al₂O₃ source and particulate SiO₂ source into one of a flame or a plasma to provide a melt, wherein the particulate SiO₂ has an average particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers, and wherein at least 90 percent by weight particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers; and

cooling the melt to provide a glass comprising at least 60 percent by weight Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ in a range from 0.5 to 10 percent by weight, and not more than 10 percent by weight collectively As₂O₃, B₂O₃, GeO₂, P₂O₅, SiO₂, TeO₂, and V₂O₅, based on the total weight of the glass.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least 95 percent by weight of the particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the particulate SiO₂ source has an average particle size in a range from 10 nm to 20 micrometers, and wherein at least 90 percent by weight of the particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 10 nm to 20 micrometers.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the glass further comprises at least one metal oxide selected from the group consisting of Y₂O₃, CeO₂, Dy₂O₃, Er₂O₃, Eu₂O₃, Gd₂O₃, Ho₂O₃, La₂O₃, Lu₂O₃, Nd₂O₃, Pr₆O₁₁, Sm₂O₃, Tb₂O₃, Th₄O₇, Tm₂O₃, Yb₂O₃, MgO, TiO₂, Cr₂O₃, CuO, ZrO₂, SrO, LiO₂, NiO, ZrO₂, and Fe₂O₃.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass comprises at least 60 percent by weight Al₂O₃, based on the total weight of the glass.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass comprises at least 70 percent by weight Al₂O₃, based on the total weight of the glass.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass comprises at least 80 percent by weight Al₂O₃, based on the total weight of the glass.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the glass comprises SiO₂ in a range from 0.5 to 5 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the glass.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising heat-treating the glass to convert at least a portion of the glass to the glass-ceramic.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the glass further comprises at least one metal oxide selected from the group consisting of Y₂O₃, CeO₂, Dy₂O₃, Er₂O₃, Eu₂O₃, Gd₂O₃, Ho₂O₃, La₂O₃, Lu₂O₃, Nd₂O₃, Pr₆O₁₁, Sm₂O₃, Tb₂O₃, Th₄O₇, Tm₂O₃, Yb₂O₃, MgO, TiO₂, Cr₂O₃, CuO, ZrO₂, SrO, LiO₂, NiO, ZrO₂, and Fe₂O₃.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the glass comprises at least 60 percent by weight Al₂O₃, based on the total weight of the glass.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the glass comprises at least 70 percent by weight Al₂O₃, based on the total weight of the glass.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the glass comprises at least 80 percent by weight Al₂O₃, based on the total weight of the glass.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the glass comprises SiO₂ in a range from 0.5 to 5 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the glass.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the glass is in the form of glass particles, and wherein the method further comprises heat-treating the glass to convert at least a portion of the glass to the glass-ceramic and provides abrasive particles.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprises grading the abrasive particles to provide a plurality of abrasive particles having a specified nominal grade.

17. The method according to the claim 15, the glass particles to be heat-treated are provided as a plurality of particles having a specified nominal grade, and wherein at least a portion of the particles is a plurality of the glass particles.

18. The method according to the claim 15, further comprising incorporating the abrasive particles into an abrasive article.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises heat-treating the glass to convert at least a portion of the glass to the glass-ceramic and crushing the glass-ceramic to provide the abrasive particles.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprises grading the abrasive particles to provide a plurality of abrasive particles having a specified nominal grade.

21. The method according to the claim 19, further comprising incorporating the abrasive particles into an abrasive article.

22. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least Al₂O₃ source and particulate SiO₂ source are feed into the flame to provide the melt.

23. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least Al₂O₃ source and particulate SiO₂ source are feed into the plasma to provide the melt.

24. A method for making an article, the method comprising:

feeding at least Al₂O₃ source and particulate SiO₂ source into one of a flame or a plasma to provide a melt, wherein the particulate SiO₂ has an average particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers, and wherein at least 90 percent by weight particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers;

cooling the melt to provide glass beads, wherein the glass comprises at least 60 percent by weight Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ in a range from 0.5 to 10 percent by weight, and not more than 10 percent by weight collectively As₂O₃, B₂O₃, GeO₂, P₂O₅, SiO₂, TeO₂, and V₂O₅, based on the total weight of the glass, the glass having a T_g;

heating the glass beads above the T_g such that the glass beads coalesce to form a shape;

cooling the coalesced shape to provide a glass article.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein at least 95 percent by weight of the particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers.

26. The method according to claim 24 wherein the particulate SiO₂ source has an average particle size in a range from 10 nm to 20 micrometers, and wherein at least 90 percent by weight of the particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 10 nm to 20 micrometers.

27. The method according to claim 24 further comprising heat-treating the glass article to convert at least a portion of the glass to glass-ceramic and provide a glass-ceramic article.

28. A method for making an article, the method comprising:

feeding at least Al₂O₃ source and particulate SiO₂ source into one of a flame or a plasma to provide a melt, wherein the particulate SiO₂ has an average particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers, and wherein at least 90 percent by weight particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers;

cooling the melt to provide glass beads, wherein the glass comprises at least 60 percent by weight Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ in a range from 0.5 to 10 percent by weight, and not more than 10 percent by weight collectively As₂O₃, B₂O₃, GeO₂, P₂O₅, SiO₂, TeO₂, and V₂O₅, based on the total weight of the glass, the glass having a T_g;

crushing the glass beads to provide glass powder;

heating the glass powder above the T_g such that the glass powder coalesces to form a shape;

cooling the coalesced shape to provide a glass article.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein at least 95 percent by weight of the particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers.

30. The method according to claim 28 wherein the particulate SiO₂ source has an average particle size in a range from 10 nm to 20 micrometers, and wherein at least 90 percent by weight of the particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 10 nm to 20 micrometers.

31. The method according to claim 28 further comprising heat-treating the glass article to convert at least a portion of the glass to glass-ceramic and provide a glass-ceramic article.

32. A method for making an article, the method comprising:

feeding at least Al₂O₃ source and particulate SiO₂ source into one of a flame or a plasma to provide a melt, wherein the particulate SiO₂ has an average particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers, and wherein at least 90 percent by weight particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers;

cooling the melt to provide glass beads, wherein the glass comprises at least 60 percent by weight Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ in a range from 0.5 to 10 percent by weight, and not more than 10 percent by weight collectively As₂O₃, B₂O₃, GeO₂, P₂O₅, SiO₂, TeO₂, and V₂O₅, based on the total weight of the glass, the glass having a T_g;

crushing the beads to provide glass powder;

heating the glass powder above the T_g such that the glass powder coalesces to form a shape;

cooling the coalesced shape to provide a glass article.

33. The method according to claim 32 wherein at, least 95 percent by weight of the particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers.

34. The method according to claim 32 wherein the particulate SiO₂ source has an average particle size in a range from 10 nm to 20 micrometers, and wherein at least 90 percent by weight of the particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 10 nm to 20 micrometers.

35. The method according to claim 32 further comprising heat-treating the glass article to convert at least a portion of the glass to glass-ceramic and provide a glass-ceramic article.

36. The method according to claim 35 wherein at least 95 percent by weight of the particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 5 nm to 50 micrometers.

37. The method according to claim 35 wherein the particulate SiO₂ source has an average particle size in a range from 10 nm to 20 micrometers, and wherein at least 90 percent by weight of the particulate SiO₂ source have a particle size in a range from 10 nm to 20 micrometers.