Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A SINTERED ARTICLE COMPRISING: A. CONFORMING A SELF-SUSTAINING, CLOTH-LIKE, FLEXIBLE, NONWOVEN PREFORM TO A DESIRED CONFIGURATION, SAID PREFORM COMPRISING FROM ABOUT 85 TO ABOUT 99% BY VOLUME OF A SOLID SINTERABLE PARTICULATE MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CERAMICS, METALS, INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS, SYNTHETIC ORGANIC POLYMERS AND MIXTURES THEREOF AND FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 15% BY VOLUME OF POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE RESIN, SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL BEING INTERCONNECTED AND ENTRAPPED BY FIBRILS OF SAID POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE TO IMPART A SELF-SUSTAINING CONDITION AND FLEXIBILITY TO THE PREFORM, B. HEATING THE PREFORM TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO DECOMPOSE AND REMOVE THE POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE RESIN AND TO SINTER THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL THEREBY BONDING THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL INTO A UNITARY STRUCTURE, AND C. COOLING THE PRODUCT OF STEP B) TO OBTAIN THE SINTERED ARTICLE.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
130 words
A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A SINTERED ARTICLE COMPRISING: A. CONFORMING A SELF-SUSTAINING, CLOTH-LIKE, FLEXIBLE, NONWOVEN PREFORM TO A DESIRED CONFIGURATION, SAID PREFORM COMPRISING FROM ABOUT 85 TO ABOUT 99% BY VOLUME OF A SOLID SINTERABLE PARTICULATE MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CERAMICS, METALS, INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS, SYNTHETIC ORGANIC POLYMERS AND MIXTURES THEREOF AND FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 15% BY VOLUME OF POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE RESIN, SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL BEING INTERCONNECTED AND ENTRAPPED BY FIBRILS OF SAID POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE TO IMPART A SELF-SUSTAINING CONDITION AND FLEXIBILITY TO THE PREFORM, B. HEATING THE PREFORM TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO DECOMPOSE AND REMOVE THE POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE RESIN AND TO SINTER THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL THEREBY BONDING THE PARTICULATE MATERIAL INTO A UNITARY STRUCTURE, AND C. COOLING THE PRODUCT OF STEP B) TO OBTAIN THE SINTERED ARTICLE.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the particulate material comprises a metal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
113 words
The process according to claim 2 wherein the preform is composed of a first sheet and a second sheet, at least one of the particle size of the particulate material, the percent by volume of the particulate material and the property of the particulate material in the first sheet being different from at least one of the particle size of the particulate material, the percent by volume of the particulate material and the property of the particulate material of the second sheet whereby upon heating the preform, at least a portion of the resulting sintered article is porous and contains two areas of different pore structure corresponding to the first and second sheets.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the preform is produced by mechanically working a mixture of said particulate material and particulate polytetrafluoroethylene resin in the substantial absence of liquid lubricants until fibrillation of the polytetrafluoroethylene occurs and the resulting fibrils interconnect and entrap the particulate material to impart a self-sustaining condition and flexibility to the preform.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the preform is contacted with a substrate material during step b) and the preform is sintered and bonded to the substrate material during said heating.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the preform is conformed to the desired configuration by shaping with a die.