Patent ID: 6803027
Filing Date: 2004-10-12
Classification: B22F,B82Y,C01B,C01F,C01G,C01P,C04B

Abstract:
A process for forming a nanosize ceramic powder comprising:forming a precursor ceramic material comprising a fugitive constituent and a non-soluble constituent in a single phase; decomposing the fugitive constituent to leave the non-soluble constituent by contacting the precursor ceramic material with a selective solvent to form a solution of the fugitive constituent in the solvent and a non-dissolved residue of the non-soluble constituent, the precursor ceramic material being sufficiently reactive with the solvent to form the solution of the fugitive constituent in the solvent and form the non-dissolved residue of the non-soluble constituent, the precursor ceramic material and the non-dissolved residue being sufficiently insoluble in the solvent such that there is essentially no precursor ceramic material and non-dissolved residue in the solution that will deposit and precipitate upon the residue of the non-soluble-constituent, the fugitive constituent being sufficiently soluble in the solvent such that the decomposing is without deposition or precipitation of dissolved fugitive constituent upon the residue of the non-soluble constituent, removing the solution of the fugitive constituent from the residue to form a nanosize powder of the residue of the non-soluble constituent.