Oxide ceramic fiber/oxide composite material and process for production thereof

摘要

The present invention discloses: an oxide ceramic fiber/oxide ceramic composite material comprising: primary composite materials each consisting of (a) an assembly of ceramic fibers composed mainly of a metal oxide and (b) a metal oxide ceramic which includes the ceramic fiber assembly (a) therein, the metal oxide of the ceramic (b) being different from the main component metal oxide of the ceramic fiber assembly (a) and the amount of the metal oxide ceramic (b) being 1 to 85% by weight relative to the weight of the ceramic fiber assembly (a), and a metal oxide ceramic which is a matrix for the primary composite materials and which includes the primary composite materials therein, the metal oxide of the ceramic being the same as or different from the main component metal oxide of the ceramic fiber assembly (a), which composite material is integrally sintered and has a relative density of 20 to 95% as compared with the density of the total metal oxides in the composite material; and a process for producing an oxide ceramic fiber/oxide ceramic composite material having a relative density of 20 to 95% by weight as compared with the density of the total metal oxides in the composite material, which process comprises: allowing a metal or metal oxide to include therein an assembly of ceramic fibers composed mainly of a metal oxide to obtain a primary composite material, the metal or metal oxide being different from the main component metal oxide of the ceramic fiber assembly and being used in an amount of 1 to 85% by weight as compared with the weight of the ceramic fiber assembly, allowing a metal oxide which is the same as or different from the main component metal oxide of the ceramic fiber assembly, to include therein the primary composite material to obtain a secondary composite material, and firing the secondary composite material in an oxidizing atmosphere to obtain an integral sintered material.