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Improved Process for Making Dense Vitreous Silica from Submicrometer Particles by Sintering Near 1000°C
Author(s) -
Clegg William J.,
Alford Neil McN.,
Birchall James D.,
Kendall Kevin
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1151-2916.1989.tb06148.x
Subject(s) - sintering , materials science , agglomerate , polymer , silica glass , cracking , shearing (physics) , mixing (physics) , composite material , sol gel , molding (decorative) , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Conventional processes for manufacture of vitreous silica are summarized. The disadvantages of ordinary sintering methods which require too high a firing temperature and of sol–gel systems which self‐destruct on drying are noted. Then a new method for making glassy silica is described which overcomes these problems by mixing fine silica powder with polymer solution, shearing strongly to break down agglomerates, drying, burning out the polymer vehicle followed by firing near 1000°C. The polymer has the combined effect of dispersing the grains of powder to allow facile molding and sintering, while preventig cracking during the drying phase. The properties of the vitreous silica products, and the potential of this process for developing new forms of silica, are discussed.