Patent ID: 6235233
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: B30B,C04B

Abstract:
Method of making an improved materials feeder equipment comprising the steps of:(a) providing a ceramic powder comprising particulate zirconium oxide and a secondary oxide selected from the group consisting of MgO, CaO, Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, Sc.sub.2 O.sub.3, and rare earth oxides, wherein said secondary oxide has a concentration, in the case of Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, about 0.5 to about 5 mole percent; in the case of MgO, about 0.1 to about 1.0 mole percent, in the case of CeO.sub.2, about 0.5 to about 15 mole percent, in the case of Sc.sub.2 O.sub.3, about 0.5 to about 7.0 mole percent and in the case of CaO from about 0.5 to about 5 mole percent, relative to the total of said zirconium oxide;(b) providing a mold for receiving and processing said ceramic powder;(c) compacting the ceramic powder in said mold to form a ceramic billet;(d) shaping said ceramic billet so as to form independently a near net-shaped ceramic first and second sliding portions;(e) sintering said near net-shaped ceramic first and second sliding portions thereby forming a sintered ceramic first sliding portion and a sintered ceramic second sliding portion, respectively; and(f) further shaping said sintered ceramic first and said sintered ceramic second sliding portions to form, respectively, an improved feeder box having said sintered ceramic first sliding portion and a ware plate having said sintered ceramic second sliding portion, wherein said first sliding portion is arranged for sliding contact with said second sliding portion.