Patent ID: 6977060
Filing Date: 2005-12-20
Classification: C04B

Abstract:
1. A method of making a material system for use at a predetermined use temperature in a high temperature environment, the method comprising: forming a plurality of geometric shapes at a manufacturing temperature in excess of the use temperature to render the geometric shapes dimensionally stable at the use temperature; filling at least a portion of a chamber with the plurality of geometric shapes such that the geometric shapes define void spaces therebetween and at least a portion of the geometric shapes are not bound to each other when placed into the chamber; introducing a slurry comprising a carrier medium and a binder material into the chamber; impregnating binder material into the void spaces and removing carrier medium from the chamber by vacuum impregnation to form a green body; heating the green body to a processing temperature at which the geometric shapes do not sinter and that is less than the manufacturing temperature to form the material system adapted for use at the use temperature, wherein the forming includes stabilizing the geometric shapes so that the geometric shapes do not sinter to one another at a temperature at which the geometric shapes would sinter together prior to stabilization.