HIGH THERMAL EXPANSION COEFFICIENT CERAMIC SINTER AND A COMPOSITE BODY OF THE SAME AND METAL

Abstract: The ceramic sinter is composed of a metal oxide selected form Al₂O₃, MgO, ZrO₂, BaTiO₃, GeO₂, Fe₂O₃, WO₃, CaTiO₃ and MgFe₂O₄, and 10-90 vol. % of metal fluoride which has an electronegativity difference of not less than 2.5 between fluorine and the metal element. The ceramic sinter has a thermal expansion coefficient which can be chosen between 10-20x10⁻⁶/°C and is suitable for bonding with general use metals such as stainless steel to form a composite body of the ceramic sinter and the metal, without causing a substantial thermal stress at the junction thereof.

Description: Background of the Invention Fields of the Invention The present invention relates to a ceramic sinter having a high thermal expansion coefficient combinable with a general use metal such as stainless steel so as to constitute a composite body applicable under a high temperature circumstance. Description of Prior Art Ceramics are being increasingly used in many fields because of their excellent thermal and chemical properties such as heat resistance and corrosion resistance and replace metal material in some fields so that performance limits of machines are improved. However workability, toughness and thermal shock resistance of the ceramics are lower than those of metal material. To overcome these, a composite body of ceramic and metal is proposed, in that, for the portion which requires a high heat resistance and a high corrosion resistance ceramics are employed and for the portion which requires a high toughness and a complex configuration metal material are employed. US-A-3862846 (Smoak) for example, discloses the production of high density ceramic products by sintering materials which decompose to alumina and magnesia with a small quantity of a dopant, which may be a metal oxide or a fluorine-containing inorganic compound. The object of this invention is to provide a high density ceramic product and it does not show that the ceramic product produced thereby has a high thermal expansion coefficient. Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-29668, for example, discloses a composite body of a ferrite core and a ceramic supporting the same for a magnetic head; the ceramic essentially consists of TiO₂, BaO, SiO₂, Nb₂O₅ and ZnO and has a thermal expansion coefficient 6-12x10⁻⁶/C which agrees with that of the ferrite core. Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-18621, for example, discloses a composite body of a cast iron and a ceramic bonded thereto for an internal combustion engine part, the ceramic essentially consists of partly stabilized zirconia and has a thermal expansion coefficient 10.3x10⁻⁶/°C substantially equivalent to that of cast iron. However until now no such ceramics having a thermal expansion coefficient more than 13x10⁻⁶/°C and a high flexural strength required for structural components are disclosed that are used in combination with general use metals such as carbon steel, of which thermal expansion coefficient is 13-14x10⁻⁶/°C, alloy steel, of which thermal expansion coefficient is 8-20x10⁻⁶/°C, and stainless steel, of which thermal expansion coefficient is 15-20x10⁻⁶/°C. Summary of the Invention One object of the present invention is to provide a ceramic sinter having a thermal expansion coefficient of for example 10-20x10⁻⁶/°C and if required a high flexural strength needed for structural components and being combinable with general use metals such as cast iron, cast steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, nickel and alloys thereof, copper and alloys thereof, cobalt base alloys, aluminum alloys and Fe system, Co system or Ni system amorphous alloys so as to constitute a composite body. Another object of the present invention is to provide a reliable composite body formed of a ceramic sinter and a metal having a high flexural strength at the juncture portion thereof. The ceramic sinter before sintering of the present invention essentially consists of a metal oxide and 10-90 vol.% of a metal fluoride having not less than 2.5 electronegativity difference of the fluorine from the metal element thereof. Whereby the ceramic sinter having a thermal expansion coefficient of 10-20x10⁻⁶/°C and a high flexural strength is obtained. The metal oxide such as Al₂O₃, MgO, ZrO₂, BaTiO₃, GeO₂, Fe₂O₃, WO₃, CaTiO₃ and MgFe₂O₄ is added for maintaining mechanical properties of the ceramic sinter of the present invention at a predetermined value. The metal fluoride is added for improving a thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic sinter of the present invention. Since the electronegativity difference between fluorine and the metal element of the metal fluoride of the present invention is not less than 2.5, the metal fluoride of the present invention is rich in ionic bond which indicates a large thermal expansion coefficient. Examples of the metal fluoride of the present invention having electronegativity difference of not less than 2.5 are CaF₂, MgF₂, SrF₂, AlF₃, ScF₃, YF₃, LaF₃, CeF₃, YbF₃, NbF₃, SmF₃ and EuF₃. Further the metal fluoride used in the present invention works as a sintering aid during sintering and as a solder during bonding with the metal, still further since the gravity or density of the metal fluoride is lower than that of the metal oxide, the addition of the metal fluoride improves the gravity or density of the resultant ceramic sinter. When the amount of the metal fluoride prepared before sintering is less than 10 vol.%, the thermal expansion coefficient of the resultant ceramic sinter of the present invention is not improved and further the effect as a solder of the metal fluoride in the ceramic sinter during bond with the metal component is reduced. When the amount thereof is more than 90 vol.%, the mechanical properties of the resultant ceramic sinter required for structural component are not attained. The metal fluorides of CaF₂, SrF₂ and ScF₃ further improve the corrosion resistance of the resultant ceramic sinter of the present invention. The metal fluorides of CaF₂, SrF₂, YbF₃, ScF₃, CeF₃, NbF₃, SmF₃ and EuF₃ further improve the heat resistance and the mechanical strength of the resultant ceramic sinter. The metal oxide of partly stabilized ZrO₂ further improves the mechanical strength of the resultant ceramic sinter. After preparing mixed powder of the metal oxide and metal fluoride of a predetermined composition ratio, the mixed powder is press-formed and then held at 900-1400°C for 0.5-3 hours, whereby is produced the ceramic sinter of the present invention having a thermal expansion coefficient of 10-20x10⁻⁶/°C, preferably of 15-20x10⁻⁶/°C, and a sufficient mechanical strength. With respect to the particle diameter in the ceramic sinter thus produced, the smaller the better, in that, the mechanical strength and the heat cycle resistance of the ceramic sinter are much enhanced. The particle diameter of the ceramic sinter is preferably controlled to less than 2 µm in practice. The thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic sinter of the present invention is adjustable within 10-20x10⁻⁶/°C by controlling the composition ratio of the metal fluoride therein while maintaining the mechanical strength substantially constant so as to match with that of the metal to the bond. The ceramic sinter of the present invention and the general use metal such as carbon steel, alloy steel and stainless steel are bonded by any known methods, for example, after metallizing the metal surface to be bonded, both the ceramic sinter and the metal are contact-bonded in vacuo at a temperature of 1,000-1,300 °C, so that the composite body of the ceramic sinter and the metal of the present invention is obtained. The thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic sinter to be bonded to a specific general use metal is adjusted to be substantially the same with that of the specific metal or slightly lower than that of the metal, but the difference between both is limited below 2.0x10⁻⁶/°C so as to induce a compressive stress in the ceramic sinter of the composite body of the present invention. The thermal stress at the juncture portion of the composite body of the present invention due to the thermal expansion coefficient difference between the ceramic sinter and the metal is substantially eliminated to improve the flexural strength at the juncture portion so that reliability of the composite body of the present invention is enhanced. Further the metal fluoride in the ceramic sinter acts as a solder during bonding with the metal, so that the flexural strength at the juncture portion of the composite body is further enhanced. In the composite body of the present invention, when stainless steel is employed for the metal portion, a composite body having an excellent mechanical strength and corrosion resistance is obtained, and when Ni base alloy or Co base alloy is employed, a composite body having an excellent mechanical strength and heat resistance is obtained. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 shows a graph illustrating a relationship between average thermal expansion coefficient and CaF₂ content in ZrO₂/CaF₂ ceramic sinter, one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows a graph illustrating a relationship between flexural strength and CaF₂ content in ZrO₂/CaF₂ ceramic sinter, one embodiment of the present invention and further a relationship between flexural strength of the juncture of the composite body of one embodiment of the present invention and CaF₂ content in the ceramic sinter. Fig. 3 shows one example of the composite body of the present invention. Fig. 4 shows another example of the composite body of the present invention, and Fig. 5 shows still further example of the composite body of the present invention. Description of the Embodiments The present invention will be illustrated in the following with reference to the embodiments. The thermal expansion coefficient, flexural strength, oxidation resistance, alkali resistance and water resistance of the ceramics shown in the following examples were examined by the following method: Thermal expansion coefficient. . . Measuring temperature was set in the range of room temperature to 500°C in consideration that the ceramic body will be bonded to a metal material such as stainless steel, and an average thermal expansion coefficient therebetween was calculated. Flexural strength. . . Flexural strengths were measured by four point flexural strength test meter at room temperature. Oxidation resistance. . . Change in weight per unit area was examined after the ceramic sinter had been left for 24 hours at 1,000°C and atmospheric pressure. Alkali resistance. . . Change in weight was examined after the ceramic sinter had been immersed in 3 % NaOH water solution at 70°C for 12 hours. Water resistance. . . Change in weight was examined after the ceramic sinter had been immersed in pure water at 70°C for 12 hours. Examples 1-33: Powdered materials selected from the group consisting of Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, BaTiO₃ and the group consisting of CaF₂, MgF₂, AlF₃, YF₃ and LaF₃ were weighed so as to have the respective compositions of Examples 1 to 33 shown in Tables 1, 2 and 4. The content of a metal fluoride was determined to be 10 to 90 vol.%. If it is less than 10 vol.%, the effect on increasing the thermal expansion coefficient and the effect as a soldering material at the time of bonding with a metal are small, while if it is more than 90 vol.%, it is impossible to obtain the practical mechanical strength with the ceramic sinter. The mixture powder of a metal oxide and a metal fluoride was pulverized and mixed in a ball mill more than several ten hours with a solvent added thereto, and thereafter the mixture was adequately dried to produce a powdered material. In this way, the particle diameter of either or both of the metal oxide and the metal fluoride was made to be less than 0.5µm to lower the sintering temperature and to make the resultant sinter dense. The powdered material was press-formed and the press-formed body was pressurized at a temperature between 900 to 1,400°C under a pressure of 300 kg/mm² (3x10⁷ Pa) and was held for 0.5 to 3 hours, thereby obtaining a ceramic sinter having a particle diameter of less than 2µm. Respective test pieces were obtained from the ceramic sinter. In these examples, ZrO₂ powdered material contained 4 mol% of Y₂O₃, but it may contain 1 to 8 mol% of Y₂O₃. Table 1 shows examples of high-thermal-expansion-coefficient ceramic sinters obtained by the above-described method as Examples 1 to 15 and 31 to 33. Table 2 shows conventional ceramics which have a large thermal expansion coefficient and are used in practice as Comparative Examples 1 to 5. All the ceramic sinters of Examples 1 to 15 and 31 to 33 exhibit larger thermal expansion coefficient than those of Comparative Examples 1 to 5. With respect to Examples 9 to 15, the thermal expansion coefficient is as large as 13x10⁻⁶/°C to 15x10⁻⁶/°C, which is approximately the same as those of the carbon steels shown in Reference Examples 1 to 3 and the alloy steels shown in Reference Examples 4 to 6 in Table 2. The thermal expansion coefficients of the ceramic sinters of Examples 1 to 8 are more than 15x10⁻⁶/°C, which is approximately the same as those of the stainless steels shown in Reference Examples 7 to 10 in Table 2. Furthermore, the thermal expansion coefficients of the ceramic sinters of Examples 1 to 4 are more than 17.5x10⁻⁶/°C, which is approximately the same as those of the alloys shown in Reference Examples 11 to 13 in Table 2. From these results it is clear that it is possible to select an appropriate high thermal expansion coefficient ceramic sinter in accordance with respective thermal expansion coefficients of general use metals such as carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel and alloys. Table 3 shows the oxidation resistance, alkali resistance and water resistance of the ceramic sinters of the present invention as Examples 2, 6, and 18-23. These properties are equivalent to the oxides of Comparative Examples 1, 4, and 5 shown in Table 3. Especially, the ceramic sinters which were obtained by using CaF₂ as a metal fluoride exhibit excellent properties. Table 4 shows examples of the ceramic sinters as Examples 18 and 25-30, which have a flexural strength of more than 300 MPa, which is approximately the same as that of Al₂O₃ ceramics which are widely used. These ceramic sinters are superior both in thermal expansion coefficient and flexural strength than those of Comparative Examples 1 to 3 shown in Table 2. It is possible to vary the thermal expansion coefficient as desired between 13 to 18x10⁻⁶/°C by varying the kinds of the metal fluorides and to obtain the value approximately the same as those of the stainless steels of Reference Examples 7 and 8 shown in Table 2 while maintaining the flexural strength at more than 300 MPa, which is a practically sufficient value. Fig. 1 shows a thermal expansion coefficient curve of the ceramic sinters at a temperature between room temperature and 500°C obtained when the volume ratio of CaF₂ powder to be added with ZrO₂ powder is varied. As is clear from Fig. 1, when a ceramic sinter having the thermal expansion coefficient approximately the same as that of SUS 308L is desired, for example, a powdered material is to be produced in the aforementioned way by adding 67 vol.% of CaF₂ to ZrO₂, so that the ceramic sinter as shown in Example 25 having the thermal expansion coefficient of 17x10⁻⁶/°C, which is approximately the same as that of SUS 308L, is obtained. In this way, when the ceramic sinter is used in combination with a metal material such as carbon steel, alloy steel and stainless steel, and when the thermal expansion coefficient of the metal material which is to be combined with the ceramic sinter is known, it is easy to select the mixture ratio of the metal oxide and the metal fluoride. Change in thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic sinter of the present invention due to heat cycle is less than 0.5 %. For example, the difference in thermal expansion coefficient curve history due to temperature change between the ceramic sinter of Example 25 and SUS308L of Reference Example 8 was at most 5 %. As a result, it was able to bond these two members with the strain caused during heating and cooling process for bonding being limited to as great an extent as possible, and after they were bonded, the juncture had a high reliability with respect to heat cycle. Fig. 2 shows the flexural strength of ZrO₂/CaF₂ ceramic sinter at room temperature and the flexural strength at the juncture of the composite body of the ceramics and an iron material (e.g., SUS, cast iron) having a similar thermal expansion coefficient in relation with CaF₂ content in the ceramics. The flexural strength of the ceramic sinter is lowered with the increase in CaF₂ content. When the CaF₂ content is less than 75 vol.%, the flexural strength thereof is more than 300 MPa, which is a practical level for structural components, and when the CaF₂ content is less than 90 vol.%, the flexural strength thereof is more than 200 MPa, which is necessary for electronic components. However, when the CaF₂ content exceeds 90 vol.%, the flexural strength thereof is suddenly lowered. On the other hand, the flexural strength of the juncture of the composite body takes a practically sufficient value when the CaF₂ content is more than 10 vol.%. This is because CaF₂ serves as a soldering material. When the CaF₂ content exceeds 80 vol.%, the strength of the juncture agrees with that of the ceramic sinter and thereafter it is lowered with the increase in the CaF₂ content. This is because the strength of the juncture is subject to the strength of the ceramic sinter. Similar tendency was observed when other metal oxides and metal fluorides were combined. Table 5 shows flexural strength at junctures of composite body of the present invention formed by bonding the ceramic sinters of Examples 18, 27, 28 and 30 and the various kinds of metals specified before heat cycle test and after they were subjected to 100 times heat cycle tests between room temperature and 500°C. When the composite body of a high thermal expansion coefficient ceramic and metal as a structural component was made, the following bonding method was adopted. When the ceramic sinter was bonded to an iron metal such as stainless steel or carbon steel, Ti/Ni alloy was metallized on the surface of the metal and the metal was contact bonded with the ceramic sinter in vacuo at a temperature of 1,000 to 1,300 °C. When a ceramic sinter was bonded to a copper alloy, a paste containing kaolin and copper sulfide in a ratio of 1 : 1 is applied to the surface of the copper alloy and it was contact bonded with the ceramic sinter at a temperature of 1,000 to 1,300 °C in the flow of N₂ + H₂ gas. When a ceramic sinter was bonded to an Ni based or Co based alloy, the surface of the ceramic sinter was grounded smooth and they were contact bonded to the alloys in vacuo at a temperature of 1,000 to 1,300 °C. In place of metallizing, a vacuum heat bonding method using a stainless steel foil or an alloy foil as an insert material or a shrink fit method, which requires high precision for machining, may be adopted. Examples 34-36: Powders of SrF2 and ZrO₂ (containing 3 mol% Y₂O₃) were weighed out as indicated in Table 6 and put into a ball mill by adding a solvent; and they were pulverized and mixed for more than several ten hours. Thereafter, the resultant mixture was sufficiently dried to form raw powder. A particle diameter of the raw powder obtained in such a manner was 1µm or less. This pulverizing operation contributes to decrease the sintering temperature and increase the density of the resultant ceramic sinter. This raw powder was press-formed and was then maintained at a temperature of 1000°C to 1400°C under a pressure of 30-50 MPa during a period of 1 to 3 hours, thereby obtaining a ceramic sinter the particle diameter of which was 2µm or less. Table 6 shows the thermal expansion coefficient of the obtained ceramic sinter at a temperature of room temperature to 500°C, the flexural strength at room temperature of the resultant ceramic sinters and of the junctures of the composite bodies of the ceramics and SUS304 stainless steel before and after they were subjected 100 time heat cycle tests between room temperature and 1000°C. No abnormal appearance was seen at the junctures of the composite bodies of the ceramic sinters and the metal shown in Examples 34-36 after subjecting thereof to the heat cycle tests. The flexural strength at the junctures changed slightly before and after the heat cycle tests and was kept at their practical strength as compared with that of comparative Examples 4 and 6. Examples 37-44: A composite bodies of ceramics and metals were formed in the same manner as that of Examples 34-36 employing SrF₂, EuF₃, ScF₃, CaF₂, SmF₃, NbF₃, CeF₃, and YbF₃ as the metal fluoride. For the metal portion of the composite bodies metal having thermal expansion coefficient of 10-20x10⁻⁶/°C was selected. The ceramic portion being bonded to the metal portion was composed of one of the above metal fluorides and ZrO₂ as the metal oxide, and the composition ratio thereof was adjusted so that the thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic portion became equal to that of the metal portion, or its difference came to 2x10⁻⁶/°C or less. Table 7 shows the thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic portion, the flexural strength of the juncture portion at room temperature before and after subjecting to 100 time heat cycle tests (room temperature to 500°C) and the corrosion resistance. In Examples 37 to 44, the decrease in flexural strength after the heat cycle test was considerably small as compared with the comparative Example 4. In Comparative Examples 5 and 1 the juncture portion was separated after the heat cycle test. However, as contrasted with this, no abnormal appearance could be found out in Examples 37 to 44. Example 45-50: Composite bodies of ceramics and metals were formed in the same manner as that of Examples 34-36 by employing CaF₂ as the metal fluoride, and one of MgO, GeO₂, FeO₃, WO₃, CaTiO₃, and MgFe₂O₄ as the metal oxide. For the metal portion of the composite body metal having thermal expansion coefficient of 10-20x10⁻⁶/°C were selected. The ceramic portion to be bonded to the metal portion consisted of CaF₂ and one of the above metal oxides, and the composition ratio thereof was adjusted so that the thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic portion became equal to that of the metal portion, or its difference was 2x10⁻⁶/°C or less. Table 8 shows the thermal expansion coefficient of the resultant ceramic sinter, the flexural strength of the juncture portion at the room temperature before and after subjecting to 100 time heat cycle tests (room temperature to 500°C). Examples 45 to 50 show, as in the case of the Examples 37 to 44 shown in Table 7, that the resistance to the thermal stress and the heat cycle fatigue of the juncture portion of the composite bodies were high as compared with comparative Examples 4, 5 and 1. A ceramic sinter serving as an insertion material which is formed of CaF₂ as the metal fluoride and of ZrO₂ (containing 3 mol% Y₂O₃) as the metal oxide was interposed between SUS310 and ZrSiO₄ in order that they were contactbonded by heating. Two kinds of the insertion materials, one containing 70 vol.% CaF₂ and the other 20 vol.% CaF₂, each having a thickness of 1 mm were prepared and interposed between SUS310 and ZrSiO₄, and they were contact-bonded at a temperature of 1000°C for 60 minutes under vacuum. The thermal expansion coefficient of SUS310 is 19x10⁻⁶/°C, and in contrast with this, that of ZrSiO₄ is 4.2x10⁻⁶/°C, and hence it was conventionally difficult to use the composite body under a high temperature circumstances because cracks were apt to generate. According to the present invention, the two pieces of the ceramic sinter insertion material which differ in content of the metal fluoride were interposed so as to give a gradient to the thermal expansion coefficient at the juncture portion, thereby preventing the reduction of the heat cycle resistance and the reliability due to the thermal stress. After the heat cycle test has been performed, any abnormality could not be recognized at the juncture portion. Breakage caused by the flexural test occurs not in the juncture portion but on the side of ZrSiO₄. An aluminum alloy and Al₂O₃ were thermally contact-bonded by applying the same method as above at a temperature of 600°C during 30 minutes by employing a ceramic sinter insertion material composed of AlF₃/Al₂O₃. The thermal expansion coefficient of the aluminum alloy is 23x10⁻⁶/°C, and the thermal expansion coefficient of Al₂O₃ is 7x10⁻⁶/°C. There is a large difference between them. However, the bonding was effected by employing the ceramic sinter insertion material which contains AlF₃, whereby the breakage took place on the side of Al₂O₃ as in the case of the above example. Consequently, the reliability at the juncture portion was improved. In place of Al₂O₃ for the ceramic portion of the composite body, there can be employed such a non-oxide system ceramic whose thermal expansion coefficient is small, as, for instance, SiC, Si₃N₄, sialon or the like. Examples of composite structural components which are composed of a ceramic sinter of the present invention and a metal material bonded therewith are shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a composite cylinder of the present invention used under high temperature circumstances. A liner 21 which is formed of a ceramic sinter of the present invention which is composed of ZrO₂ and CaF₂ (in a volume ratio of 45 : 55) is inserted into a metal sleeve 22 of carbon steel by shrink fit, thereby forming a cylinder liner. The cylinder liner was subjected to 1,000 tests in which heat load of room temperature to 500°C was repeatedly applied to the cylinder liner. After the tests, the cylinder liner was examined and no abnormality was found between the sleeve 22 and the liner 21, and no generation of cracking nor scaling off was found either. Since the average particle diameter of the high thermal expansion coefficient ceramics of the present invention is less than 2µm, crystal grains are unlikely to be scaled off due to sliding movement, and the efficiency is not reduced by the increase in the clearance during the operation. Even when composite cylinder were heated to 1,000 °C at atmospheric pressure, the sleeve 22 and the liner 21 were not separated from each other. From these facts it is clear that the ceramic sinter according to the present invention is good in oxidation resistance and wear resistance, and is therefore suitable as a material for a liner. Fig. 4 shows composite exhaust valve made of a ceramic sinter of a high thermal expansion coefficient and a metal in the following way. A valve seat 31 was formed of the ceramic sinter of Example 7 and was bonded to a valve stem 32 of SUS 316 at 1,000 °C in vacuo by thermocompression bonding with a foil of Ti/Ni alloy inserted therebetween. This valve was incorporated into a diesel engine and the gas temperature was raised to 900°C to carry out a 1,000-hour engine test. When the valve was examined after the end of the test, no abnormality was found. Ordinarily, 70 % of the heat from the combustion gas is received by the valve seat, and during high-load operation it is exposed to discharged gas of a temperature above 800°C. Since the thermal conductivity of this ceramic sinter is lower than that of a metal material, it is possible to suppress the rise in temperature of the valve even if the area of the valve seat is increased and, in addition, the increase in the inertia loading of the valve itself is reduced in comparison with a valve made of a metal material alone. The valve seat 31 may be formed by spraying, for example, the powdered material of Example 1 on Table 1, onto the surface of the valve stem 32 by a know plasma spray coating process. Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a composite scroll valve of the present invention used in a turbo charger of an internal combustion engine. A disk valve 42 was formed of the ceramic sinter of Example 35 on Table 6 and was shrink-fitted to rotary shafts 41 of SUS316. The ceramic sinter disk valve 42 was exposed to exhaust gas of about 900°C in the scroll of turbo charger for 1,000 hours. After the engine test, the juncture portion of the ceramic and the metal was examined to find out no abnormality. As described above, a composite structural component which adopts the ceramic sinter of the present invention is superior to a conventional one, and is useful as a cylinder, cylinder liner, piston, piston head, turbo-charger, rocker arm, cam, tappet, bearing, etc. of an internal combustion engine. It is also useful as an electronic component such as an IC package substrate and a fastener of a magnetic head, burner, blower and a biomaterial such as a substitute for a bone and a tooth. Since the ceramic body according to the present invention exhibits a thermal expansion coefficient approximately the same as that of carbon steel, alloy steel and stainless steel, when it is integrally combined with a metal material, a composite is unlikely to produce cracking due to thermal stress, thereby greatly enhancing the reliability of a ceramic and metal composite structural body.

Claims: A high thermal expansion coefficient ceramic sinter having a thermal expansion coefficient of 10-20x10⁻⁶/°C at temperatures of from room temperature to 500°C and essentially consisting of metal oxide and metal fluoride, the amount of said metal fluoride before sintering being 10-90 vol.%, said metal oxide being at least one selected from Al₂O₃, MgO, ZrO₂, BaTiO₃, GeO₂, Fe₂O₃, WO₃, CaTiO₃ and MgFe₂O₄, and said metal fluoride being at least one selected from those having not less than 2.5 electronegativity difference of the fluorine from the metal element thereof. A high thermal expansion coefficient ceramic sinter according to claim 1, wherein said metal fluoride is at least one selected from CaF₂, MgF₂, SrF₂, AlF₃, ScF₃, YF₃, LaF₃, CeF₃, YbF₃, NbF₃, SmF₃ and EuF₃. A high thermal expansion coefficient ceramic sinter according to claim 1, wherein said metal oxide is at least one selected from Al₂O₃, MgO, ZrO₂ and BaTiO₃, and said metal fluoride is at least one selected from CaF₂, MgF₂, AlF₃, ScF₃, YF₃ and LaF₃. A high thermal expansion coefficient ceramic sinter according to any preceding claim wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic sinter is 15-20x10⁻⁶/°C at temperatures of from room temperature to 500°C. A high thermal expansion coefficient ceramic sinter according to claim 1 or claim 4 wherein the thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic sinter is adjustable by controlling the amount of said metal fluoride. A composite body of a ceramic sinter and a metal bonded thereto, said ceramic sinter essentially consisting of metal oxide and metal fluoride, the amount of said metal fluoride before sintering being 10-90 vol.%, said metal oxide being at least one selected from Al₂O₃, MgO, ZrO₂, BaTiO₃, GeO₂, Fe₂O₃, WO₃, CaTiO₃ and MgFe₂O₄, said metal fluoride being at least one selected from those having not less than 2.5 electronegativity difference of the fluorine from the metal element thereof, the thermal expansion coefficient of the ceramic sinter being 10-20x10⁻⁶/°C at temperatures of from room temperature to 500°C, and said metal being one selected from those having a thermal expansion coefficient not less than that of the ceramic sinter, but the difference between them being below 2.0x10⁻⁶/°C. A composite body of a ceramic sinter and a metal bonded thereto according to claim 6, wherein said metal fluoride is at least one selected from CaF₂, MgF₂, SrF₂, AlF₃, ScF₃, YF₃, LaF₃, CeF₃, YbF₃, NbF₃, SmF₃, and EuF₃. A composite body of a ceramic sinter and a metal bonded thereto according to claim 7, wherein said metal is one selected from cast iron, cast steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, nickel and alloys thereof, copper and alloys thereof, cobalt base alloys, aluminium alloys and Fe system, Co system or Ni system amorphous alloys.

Inventors: MIYOSHI, TADAHIKO, TANAKA, AKIRA
Applicants: HITACHI, LTD.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: C04B35
IPC codes: C04B35, C04B37