PLASTICIZABLE MIXTURE AND METHOD OF USING

摘要

A plasticizable raw material batch mixture for forming a silicon carbide honeycomb structure comprising the following components: (1) powdered silicon metal; (2) a carbon precursor comprising a water soluble crosslinking thermoset resin having a viscosity of less than about 1000 centipoise (cp), and preferably less than about 500 cp; (3) a powdered silicon-containing filler; and, (4) a water soluble thermoplastic binder. Optionally, the batch mixture can include either, or both, an organic fibrous filler and a pore-forming filler comprising either a graphitic or a thermoplastic pore-forming filler. In another aspect, the invention provides for a process for producing a silicon carbide honeycomb structure utilizing the inventive batch material involving mixing together selected raw materials to form the previously mentioned plasticizable raw material batch and shaping the batch mixture to form a shaped green body, preferably extruding to form a honeycomb structure and thereafter drying, curing and sintering the green body at a temperature sufficient to convert the green body to a porous silicon carbide sintered body; preferably this temperature is above about 1400 DEG C.