REINFORCED STRUCTURAL MEMBER FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE OPERATIONS AND FABRICATION METHOD

摘要

A structural member for use in high temperature environments is disclosed. The structural member has a core encased within a shell material. The core material is formed of a strong material having a melting point well above that of the shell material. The disclosed structural member is particularly useful when forming a boat for heating silicon and the like to temperatures between 900 degrees Celsius and 1500 degrees Celsius. In a preferred embodiment the core material is graphite and the shell is fused silica. Even more preferably, the fused silica pneumatically encases the graphite to thereby prevent inadvertent contamination during use of the structural member. A related method for forming the structural member is also disclosed.