Claims
- 1. A process for continuously processing porous material in CVI furnace having a CVI chamber comprising loading the porous material into said CVI chamber, introducing a reactant gas into said CVI chamber while heating said porous material with a heater plate located proximate to said porous material, whereby said porous material is densified.
- 2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said porous material is placed into a module.
- 3. A process according to claim 1, wherein said porous material is removed from the CVI chamber and cooled down.
- 4. A process according to claim 1, wherein said heater plate is located above said module.
- 5. A process according to claim 1, wherein said heater plate is located below said module.
- 6. A process according to claim 4, wherein said CVI chamber includes an additional heater plate located below said module.
- 7. A process according to claim 1, wherein said gas flow is reversed during said process.
- 8. A process according to claim 1, wherein said reactant gas comprises natural gas.
- 9. A process according to claim 1, wherein said reactant gas comprises a mixture of methane and propane.
- 10. A process according to claim 9, wherein said mixture comprises about 92.5% methane and about 7.5% propane.
- 11. A process for continuously processing porous material in CVI furnace having a CVI chamber which is maintained at a desired temperature, pressure and flow rate comprising loading the porous material into said CVI chamber, introducing a reactant gas into said CVI chamber while heating said porous material with a heater plate located proximate to said porous material, whereby said porous material is densified.
- 12. A process according to claim 11, wherein said porous material is placed into a module.
- 13. A process according to claim 11, wherein said porous material is removed from the CVI chamber and cooled down.
- 14. A process according to claim 11, wherein said heater plate is located above said module.
- 15. A process according to claim 11, wherein said heater plate is located below said module.
- 16. A process according to claim 14, wherein said CVI chamber includes an additional heater plate located below said module.
- 17. A process according to claim 11, wherein said gas flow is reversed during said process.
- 18. A process according to claim 11, wherein said gas comprises natural gas.
- 19. A process according to claim 11, wherein said gas comprises a mixture of methane and propane.
- 20. A process according to claim 19, wherein said mixture comprises about 92.5% methane and about 7.5% propane.
- 21. A process according to claim 11, wherein said temperature is maintained in the range of about 1700 to about 2500° F.
- 22. A process according to claim 11, wherein said pressure is maintained in the range of about 50 to about 760 torr.
- 23. A process for continuously processing multiple layers of porous material in CVI furnace having a CVI chamber which is maintained at desired process conditions comprising loading the layers of porous material into said CVI chamber, introducing a reactant gas into said CVI chamber while heating said porous material with a heater plate located proximate to said porous material, whereby said porous material is densified.
- 24. A process according to claim 23, wherein said layers of porous material are stacked into a module.
- 25. A process according to claim 23, wherein said reactant gas flow is reversed during said process.
- 26. A process for processing porous material in CVI furnace having a CVI chamber which is maintained at desired process conditions comprising placing porous material into a module, loading the module into said CVI chamber, introducing a reactant gas into said CVI chamber while heating said the porous material in said module with a heater plate located proximate said porous material, whereby said porous material in said module is densified.
- 27. A process according to claim 26, wherein said heater plate is above the module.
- 28. A process according to claim 26, wherein said CVI chamber includes an additional heater plate below said module.
- 29. A process according to claim 26, wherein said reactant gas flow is reversed during the process.
- 30. A module according to claim 26 comprising a graphite block having a top gas chamber with gas inlet and several gas outlets, a middle chamber having gas inlets and gas outlets, wherein said gas inlets connect to said top gas chamber outlets, and a bottom gas chamber having gas inlets and a gas outlet, wherein said gas inlets connect to said middle chamber gas outlets.
- 31. A module according to claim 30, wherein porous material is placed into said middle chamber of said module.
- 32. A module according to claim 30, wherein a screen is placed above said porous material.
- 33. A module according to claim 32, wherein a screen is placed below said porous material.
- 34. A module according to claim 26, comprising a ceramic block having a top gas chamber with gas inlet and several gas outlets, a middle chamber having gas inlets and gas outlets, wherein said gas inlets connect to said top gas chamber outlets, and a bottom gas chamber having gas inlets and a gas outlet, wherein said gas inlets connect to said middle chamber gas outlets.
- 35. A module according to claim 34, wherein porous material is placed into said middle chamber of said module.
- 36. A module according to claim 34, wherein a screen is placed above said porous material.
- 37. A module according to claim 35, wherein a screen is placed below said porous material.
- 38. A module according to claim 26, comprising a block having a top gas chamber with gas inlet and several gas outlets, a middle chamber having gas inlets and gas outlets, wherein said gas inlets connect to said top gas chamber outlets, and a bottom gas chamber having gas inlets and a gas outlet, wherein said gas inlets connect to said middle chamber gas outlets.
- 39. A module according to claim 38, wherein porous material is placed into said middle chamber of said module.
- 40. A module according to claim 38, wherein a screen is placed above said porous material.
- 41. A module according to claim 40, wherein a screen is placed below said porous material.
- 42. A process according to claim 8, wherein ethane and propane is added to the natural gas.
- 43. A process according to claim 18, wherein ethane and propane is added to the natural gas.
- 44. A process according to claim 26, wherein the heater plate has a first thickness at its center and a second thickness at its periphery whereby the second thickness is larger than the first thickness.
- 45. A process for processing porous material in a conventional CVI furnace having a CVI chamber which is maintained at desired process conditions comprising placing porous material into a module, loading the module into said CVI chamber, introducing a reactant gas into said CVI chamber while heating said the porous material in said module with a heater plate located proximate said porous material, whereby said porous material in said module is densified.
- 46. A process according to claim 45, wherein the heater plate has a first thickness at its center and a second thickness at its periphery whereby the second thickness is larger than the first thickness.
Parent Case Info
[0001] RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] This non-provisional application claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference, in its entirety, U.S. provisional application ser. No. 60/421,393, filed on Oct. 24, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60421393 |
Oct 2002 |
US |