PROCESS FOR PRODUCING TUBULAR CERAMIC STRUCTURES OF NON-CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION

摘要

A process for producing tubular ceramic structures of non-circular cross section is provided which comprises: a) rotating a mandrel-spindle assembly having a non-circular external cross section corresponding to the non-circular internal cross section of the tubular ceramic structure to be produced, the mandrel-spindle assembly comprising a mandrel component and a spindle component, the mandrel component being a heat shrinkable polymeric tube of non-circular cross section the external surface of which corresponds to the internal surface of the tubular ceramic structure of non-circular cross section to be produced and the internal surface of which defines a bore, the spindle component having a non-circular cross section corresponding to that of the bore of the mandrel and being in close fitting but slidably removable contact therewith; b) applying a ceramic-forming composition to the external surface of the mandrel component of the rotating mandrel-spindle assembly to produce a tubular ceramic structure of non-circular cross section the internal surface of which is in contact with the external surface of the mandrel; c) removing the spindle from the bore of the mandrel to provide a mandrel-tubular ceramic structure assembly in which the interior surface of the tubular ceramic structure of non-circular cross section remains in contact with the external surface of the mandrel; and, d) heat shrinking the mandrel component of the mandrel-tubular ceramic structure assembly to cause the mandrel to undergo shrinkage to a reduced size in which the external surface of the mandrel separates from the interior surface of the tubular ceramic structure of non-circular cross section facilitating removal of the mandrel therefrom.