Patent ID: 7287573

Claim:
A process for the formation of a ceramic core, comprising the following steps: (a) combining a ceramic powder with silicone monomers and/or oligomers, to form a ceramic slurry which comprises an uncured silicone matrix; wherein the silicone monomers and/or oligomers have a viscosity of about 1 to about 1,000 centistokes, and comprise at least three alkenyl-reactive functional groups or at least three hydride-reactive functional groups per mole of monomer or oligomer; (b) adding a metallic catalyst to the slurry; (c) transferring the slurry to a core mold or core die; (d) cross-linking and/or polymerizing the silicone monomers and/or oligomers to form a green product in the shape of the desired core; and (e) heating the green product to a temperature effective to decompose the cross-linked and/or polymerized silicone monomers and/or oligomers, and to form a ceramic core which contains a silica char, wherein the outer surface of the ceramic core defines the shape of at least one internal cavity of a turbine component.