Ceramic article and method of manufacture therefor

摘要

A ceramic article resulting from a chemical interaction between a particulate ceramic material and a ceramic matrix material is described. The ceramic matrix results from at least partial chemical transformation of a precursor material. A chemical bond between the ceramic matrix and the particulate ceramic material is developed during manufacture. The configuration of the ceramic article is developed through use of a rapid prototyping process. A ceramic article comprising different compositions in two or more regions of the article is described. A manufacturing process comprising the steps employed to produce such a ceramic article is also described. The ceramic article described herein is particularly suited for use as a mold for metal casting. The manufacturing process disclosed herein enables production of such a mold within a matter of hours, rather than days, as required by prior art casting technologies.