Ceramic microtruss

• US 7,687,132 B1
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Alan J., Gross, Adam F., Cumberland, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): EDWARDS, NEWTON O
• Application Number:
  US12/074,727
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 428/116, 428/357, 501/95.1, 385/129, 385/130, 526/95, 526/481
• US Class Current: 428/116
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/06 Metallic powder characterised by the shape of the particles nanosized particles B22F1/054
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/062 Fibrous particles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/002 Manufacture of articles essentially made from metallic fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/565 based on silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/58 based on borides, nitrides, i.e. nitrides, oxynitrides, carbonitrides or oxycarbonitrides or silicides containing free binder metal C22C29/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/0032 one of the precursor materials being a monolithic element having approximately the same dimensions as the final article, e.g. a paper sheet which after carbonisation will react with silicon to form a porous silicon carbide porous body
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24149 Honeycomb-like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/29 Coated or structually defined flake, particle, cell, strand, strand portion, rod, filament, macroscopic fiber or mass thereof

Abstract

An ordered ceramic microstructure and a method of making the same. In one embodiment, the ceramic microstructure includes a base structure and one or more ceramic layers. The base structure includes a plurality of first truss elements defined by a plurality of first self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a first direction, a plurality of second truss elements defined by a plurality of second self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a second direction, and a plurality of third truss elements defined by a plurality of third self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a third direction. Here, the first, second, and third truss elements interpenetrate each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material, and the base structure is self-supporting. In addition, the ceramic layers coat a surface of at least one truss element of the first truss elements, the second truss elements, or the third truss elements.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional ordered ceramic microstructure comprising:

a base structure comprising;

a plurality of first truss elements defined by a plurality of first self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a first direction;

a plurality of second truss elements defined by a plurality of second self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a second direction; and

a plurality of third truss elements defined by a plurality of third self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a third direction,

wherein the first, second, and third truss elements interpenetrate each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material, and

wherein the base structure is self-supporting; and

one or more ceramic layers coating a surface of at least one truss element of the first truss elements, the second truss elements, or the third truss elements.

2. The three-dimensional ordered ceramic microstructure of claim 1, wherein the one or more ceramic layers are vapor deposited or infiltrated ceramic layers.

3. The three-dimensional ordered ceramic microstructure of claim 2, wherein the one or more ceramic layers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, hafnium carbide, chromium carbide, boron nitride, boron carbide, aluminum oxide, titanium diboride, titanium nitride, zirconium dioxide, titanium carbide, titanium carbonitride, tantalum carbide, tantalum nitride, and combinations thereof.

4. The three-dimensional ordered ceramic microstructure of claim 1, wherein the one or more ceramic layers are formed via a reaction between a material of the base structure and a reactant, the reactant being a gas or a liquid.

5. The three-dimensional ordered ceramic microstructure of claim 4, wherein the reactant comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, hafnium carbide, chromium carbide, aluminum oxide, zirconium dioxide, trichlorosilane, silane, diatomic oxygen, and combinations thereof.

6. The three-dimensional ceramic microstructure of claim 4, wherein the reaction between the material of the base structure and the reactant transforms the base structure into a substantially ceramic microstructure.

7. The three-dimensional ordered ceramic microstructure of claim 1, wherein the one or more ceramic layers are formed via heating of a preceramic polymer applied to the base structure.

8. The three-dimensional ordered ceramic microstructure of claim 7, wherein the preceramic polymer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polysilazanes, polycarbosilanes, silicone resins, polysilanes, polyvinylborazine, polyborazylene, borazine-modified hydrldopolysilazanes, decaborane-based polymers, and combinations thereof.

9. The three-dimensional ordered ceramic microstructure of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third truss elements has an axial diameter ranging from about 0.5 mm to about 1 μ

m.

10. The three-dimensional ordered ceramic structure of claim 1, wherein the one or more ceramic layers are formed by converting a coating of one or more first ceramic species into one or more second ceramic species.

11. A three-dimensional ordered ceramic microstructure comprising:

a plurality of first truss elements defined by a plurality of first self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a first direction;

a plurality of second truss elements defined by a plurality of second self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a second direction; and

a plurality of third truss elements defined by a plurality of third self-propagating polymer waveguides and extending along a third direction,

wherein the first, second, and third truss elements interpenetrate each other at a plurality of nodes to form a continuous material,

wherein the continuous material is self-supporting, and

wherein each of the first, second, and third truss elements comprises a ceramic material.