Extended length tube structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9995417-B2
Application number	US-201313849354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2013
Priority date	Mar 22, 2012
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

An extended length tube structure includes a first ceramic tube segment having a first end and a second end, and a second ceramic tube segment having a first end and a second end, in which the second end of the first ceramic tube segment is arranged to face the first end of the second ceramic tube segment. A ceramic coupling component is positioned to circumscribe the end-to-end configuration of the tube segments, and is sinter-bonded to the tube segments to form an continuous, extended length tube structure having a seal, such as a sinter bond or an interference bond, that is free of bond materials.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An extended length tube structure comprising:
a first ceramic tube segment having a first end and a second end, and a second ceramic tube segment having a first end and a second end, the second end of the first ceramic tube segment being arranged to face and in abutting contact with the first end of the second ceramic tube segment, each of the first and second ceramic tube segments having an inner diameter and an outer diameter;
a ceramic coupling component sinter bonded to the second end of the first tube segment and the first end of the second tube segment such that the first and second tube segments are arranged end to end to form a continuous tube structure,
wherein each of the ceramic tube segments forms a direct sinter-bond seal with the ceramic coupling component, wherein the direct sinter-bond seal is free of an intermediate bond material between the first and second ceramic tube segments and the ceramic coupling component and has at least one performance characteristic selected from the group consisting of:
i) a Shear Strength not less than about 25 MPa;
ii) a Nitrogen Seal Performance of not greater than 10%;
iii) a Helium Seal Performance of not greater than 10%; and
iv) a Vacuum Seal Performance of not greater than 10%.

2. The extended length tube structure of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the ceramic tube segments comprises an isopressed tube segment.

3. The extended length tube structure of claim 1 , wherein the first ceramic tube segment, the second ceramic tube segment, the coupling component, or any combination thereof comprises silicon carbide.

4. The extended length tube structure of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the first tube segment has an end face and the first end of the second ceramic tube structure has an end face, and wherein the end faces have complementary structures.

5. The extended length tube structure of claim 4 , wherein the end faces are planar.

6. The extended length tube structure of claim 4 , wherein the end faces lie in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first or second ceramic tube segment.

7. The extended length tube structure of claim 4 , wherein the end faces are non-planar.

8. The extended length tube structure of claim 7 , wherein the end face of the first tube segment has an L-shaped contour, the end face of the second tube segment has an L-shaped contour, and wherein the L-shaped contours of the first and second tube segments are complementary to each other.

9. The extended length tube structure of claim 1 , wherein the extended length tube structure has an outer diameter (OD) and a length (L), and an aspect ratio of L:OD of not less than about 10:1 and not greater than 300:1.

10. The extended length tube structure of claim 1 , wherein the first tube segment, the second tube segment, and the coupling component are coaxial.

11. The extended length tube structure of claim 1 , wherein the coupling component comprises a cylindrical body.

12. The extended length tube structure of claim 1 , wherein crystallographic grains from each of the first tube segment and the coupling component extend across and bridge a sinter bond interface between the first tube segment and the coupling component, and wherein crystallographic grains from each of the second tube segment and the coupling component extend across and bridge a sinter bond interface between the first tube segment and the coupling component.

13. The extended length tube structure of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the seals has a Shear Strength of not less than about 40 MPa.

14. The extended length tube structure of claim 1 , wherein the seal is a hermetic seal.

15. The extended length tube structure of claim 1 , wherein the seal has a Seal Performance of not greater than about 9%, wherein the Seal Performance is a Nitrogen Seal Performance, a Helium Seal Performance, or a Vacuum Seal Performance.

16. An extended length tube structure comprising:
a first ceramic tube segment having a first end and a second end, and a second ceramic tube segment having a first end and a second end, the second end of the first ceramic tube segment being arranged to face the first end of the second ceramic tube segment, each of the first and second ceramic tube segments having an inner diameter and an outer diameter;
a ceramic coupling component sinter bonded to the second end of the first tube segment and the first end of the second tube segment such that the first and second tube segments are arranged end to end to form a continuous tube structure,
wherein each of the ceramic tube segments forms a direct sinter-bond seal with the ceramic coupling component, wherein the direct sinter-bond seal is free of an intermediate bond material between the first and second ceramic tube segments and the ceramic coupling component and has at least one performance characteristic selected from the group consisting of:
i) a Shear Strength not less than about 25 MPa;
ii) a Nitrogen Seal Performance of not greater than 10%;
iii) a Helium Seal Performance of not greater than 10%; and
iv) a Vacuum Seal Performance of not greater than 10%,

wherein the first ceramic tube segment, the second ceramic tube segment, the coupling component, or any combination thereof comprises silicon carbide.

17. The extended length tube structure of claim 16 , wherein each of the first ceramic tube segment, the second ceramic tube segment, the coupling component comprise silicon carbide.

18. The extended length tube structure of claim 17 , wherein the silicon carbide comprises a content of the silicon carbide from at least about 91 wt % to no greater than about 99.85 wt %, wherein at least about 95 wt % of the silicon carbide is alpha phase.

19. The extended length tube structure of claim 18 , wherein the silicon carbide further comprises:
a carbonized organic material in an amount no greater than about 5.0 wt %;
boron in an amount from at least about 0.15 wt % to no greater than about 3.0 wt %;
additional carbon in an amount no greater than about 1.0 wt %; and
a predominantly equiaxed microstructure.

20. A method of forming an extended length ceramic tube structure, comprising:
providing a first ceramic tube segment having a first end and a second end;
providing a second ceramic tube segment having a first end and a second end;
pre-sintering the first and second ceramic tube segments;
surface cleaning an outer surface of each of the tube segments;
providing an un-sintered or partially sintered ceramic coupling component;
arranging the first and second tube segments and the coupling component such that the second end of the first ceramic tube segment faces the first end of the second ceramic tube segment, and the coupling component overlies the second end of the first tube segment and the first end of the second tube segment; and
co-sintering the first and second tube segments and the coupling component to form a direct sinter-bond seal between the coupling component and each of the first and second tube segments, wherein the direct sinter-bond seal is free of an intermediate bond material between the first and second ceramic tube segments and the ceramic coupling component and has at least one performance characteristic selected from the group consisting of:
i) a Shear Strength not less than about 25 MPa;
ii) a Nitrogen Seal Performance of not greater than 10%;
iii) a Helium Seal Performance of not greater than 10%; and
iv) a Vacuum Seal Performance of not greater than 10%,

wherein the first cer

Assignees

• Banach Lawrence M
• Bevilacqua John M
• Lanzone Steven W
• Saint Gobain Ceramics

Inventors

• Banach Lawrence M
• Bevilacqua John M
• Lanzone Steven W

Classifications

• C04B2237/78

  Side-way connecting, e.g. connecting two plates through their sides · CPC title

• C04B2235/421

  Boron · CPC title

• C04B2235/612

  Machining · CPC title

• C04B2235/48

  Organic compounds becoming part of a ceramic after heat treatment, e.g. carbonising phenol resins · CPC title

• C04B2235/767

  Hexagonal symmetry, e.g. beta-Si3N4, beta-Sialon, alpha-SiC or hexa-ferrites · CPC title