Patent ID: 6083452
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: C04B,H01Q

Abstract:
A method of fabricating a radome, comprising the steps ofproviding a mass of ceramic powders;providing a dispersant chemical;providing a prepolymer material;providing a solvent;mixing the mass of ceramic powders, the dispersant chemical, the prepolymer material, and the solvent together to form a casting mixture; thereafterproviding a mold defining a shape of a radome that is open at a large end and closed at a small end, the mold includinga female mold part oriented with an open end facing upwardly, anda male mold part the male mold part and the female mold part being sized so that the male mold part is received within the female mold part with a gap therebetween; thereaftercasting the casting mixture into the gap between the male mold part and the female mold part; thereaftercuring the prepolymer material in the casting mixture and drying the casting mixture, with the casting mixture in the gap between the male part and the female part of the mold, thereby forming a molded article; thereafterfirst heating the molded article to a burnout temperature sufficiently high to vaporize the prepolymer material and the dispersant chemical; and thereaftersecond heating the molded article to a sintering temperature sufficiently high to sinter the ceramic particles.