| 摘要 |
A process for producing tubular ceramic structures (11) is provided which comprises: a) rotating a mandrel-spindle assembly (25) comprising a mandrel component (27) and a spindle component (23), the mandrel component (27) being a heat shrinkable polymeric tube the external surface of which corresponds to the internal surface of the tubular ceramic structure (11) to be produced and the internal surface of which defines a bore (51), the spindle component (23) being in close fitting but slidably removable contact therewith; b) applying a ceramic-forming composition to the external surface of the mandrel component (27) of the rotating mandrel-spindle assembly (25) to produce a tubular ceramic structure (11) the internal surface of which is in contact with the external surface of the mandrel (27); c) removing the spindle (23) from the bore (51) of the mandrel (27) to provide a mandrel-tubular ceramic structure assembly (40) in which the interior surface of the tubular ceramic structure (11) remains in contact with the external surface of the mandrel (27); and, d) heat shrinking the mandrel component (27,56) of the mandrel-tubular ceramic structure assembly (40) to cause the mandrel (27,56) to undergo shrinkage to a reduced size in which the external surface of the mandrel (56) separates from the interior surface of the tubular ceramic structure (11) facilitating removal of the mandrel (56) therefrom. |
