Articles comprising crystalline materials and method of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10988399-B2
Application number	US-201815976392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2018
Priority date	May 12, 2017
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

Methods for making articles comprising crystalline material. Exemplary articles made by a method described herein include electronics enclosure (e.g., a watch case, cellular phone case, or a tablet case).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for making an article comprising crystalline material, the method comprising:
heating nanocrystalline glass-ceramic particulate at sufficient temperature and under sufficient pressure such that the nanocrystalline glass-ceramic particulate consolidates to form a shape having at least 90 percent of theoretical density; and
cooling the consolidated shape to provide the article,
wherein at least 90 percent by weight of the nanocrystalline glass-ceramic particulate, based on the total weight of the nanocrystalline glass-ceramic particulate, does not have a T g .

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystalline glass-ceramic particulate collectively contains less than 40 percent by weight collectively SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 , and P 2 O 5 , based on the total weight of the nanocrystalline glass-ceramic particulate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating is conducted in a range from 1000° C. to 1300° C. and wherein the heating is conducted for a time of at least 30 seconds.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crystalline material has an average crystallite size of at least 20 nanometers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystalline glass-ceramic particulate collectively comprises, on a theoretical oxides basis, at least 70 percent by weight of Al 2 O 3 , REO, and at least one of ZrO 2 or HfO 2 , based on the total weight of the nanocrystalline glass-ceramic particulate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanocrystalline glass-ceramic particulate collectively comprises, on a theoretical oxides basis, at least 70 percent by weight of Al 2 O 3 , Y 2 O 3 , and at least one of ZrO 2 or HfO 2 , based on the total weight of the nanocrystalline glass-ceramic particulate.

7. A method for making an article comprising crystalline material, the method comprising:
heating glass-ceramic particulate having a microhardness of at least 9 GPa at sufficient temperature and under sufficient pressure such that glass-ceramic particulate consolidates forming a shape having at least 90 percent of theoretical density; and
cooling the consolidated shape to provide the article,
wherein at least 90 percent by weight of the glass-ceramic particulate, based on the total weight of the glass-ceramic particulate, does not have a T g .

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the glass-ceramic particulate collectively contains less than 40 percent by weight collectively SiO 2 , B 2 O 3 , and P 2 O 5 , based on the total weight of the glass-ceramic particulate.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the heating is conducted in a range from 1000° C. to 1300° C. and wherein the heating is conducted for a time of at least 30 seconds.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the crystalline material has an average crystallite size of at least 20 nanometers.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the glass-ceramic particulate collectively comprises, on a theoretical oxides basis, at least 70 percent by weight of Al 2 O 3 , REO, and at least one of ZrO 2 or HfO 2 , based on the total weight of the glass-ceramic particulate.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the glass-ceramic particulate collectively comprises, on a theoretical oxides basis, at least 70 percent by weight of Al 2 O 3 , Y 2 O 3 , and at least one of ZrO 2 or HfO 2 , based on the total weight of the glass-ceramic particulate.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Rosenflanz Anatoly Z
• Anderson Jason D
• Shanti Noah O
• Stolzenburg Fabian
• Tangeman Jean A

Classifications

• C03B23/0302

  between opposing full-face shaping moulds · CPC title

• C03B23/0256

  Gravity bending accelerated by applying mechanical forces, e.g. inertia, weights or local forces · CPC title

• C03B32/02

  Thermal crystallisation, e.g. for crystallising glass bodies into glass-ceramic articles {(C03B27/012 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C03C3/062

  with less than 40% silica by weight · CPC title

• C03C10/00

  Devitrified glass ceramics, i.e. glass ceramics having a crystalline phase dispersed in a glassy phase and constituting at least 50% by weight of the total composition · CPC title