REFRACTORY ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MIXED MATERIALS, AND PROCESS FOR THEIR MANUFACTURE BY ISOSTATIC HOT-PRESSING

摘要

The invention is refractory, electrically conductive, mixed materials based on hexagonal boron nitride and at least one electrically conductive component such as titanium boride and zirconium boride, and having a density of at least about 95% of the theoretical density and nondirection-dependent properties, which have been manufactured from powder mixtures that are practically free of oxygen and metal and comprise from about 10 to 60% by weight of boron nitride, from about 0 to 60% by weight of aluminum nitride and/or silicon nitride, and from about 30 to 70% by weight of an electrically conductive component, without the concomitant use of sintering aids by means of isostatic hot pressing in a vacuum-tight casing at temperatures of from about 1400 DEG to 1700 DEG C. and under a pressure of from about 100 to 300 MPa. The powder mixtures are pre-densified to form green bodies in block form and are then introduced into casings or coated with a material forming a vacuum-tight casing. The pre-densified green bodies in the vacuum-tight casing are then subjected to the isostatic hot-pressing process in a high-pressure autoclave, using an inert gas such as argon, as pressure-transmission medium. The article formed from the mixed materials are used to manufacture evaporation boats for the vacuum evaporation of metals.