NSF Award
9903571
This Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project aims to validate the technical feasibility of three critical and innovative steps, namely precursor synthesis, drying and curing, and thermal processing. The proposer will conduct a program of experimentation and characterization. The proposer has developed a novel process concept for synthesizing advanced non-oxide ceramic materials with nanocrystalline microstructures. The concept is based upon thermal treatment of precursor molecules adsorbed on an activated carbon substrate. After drying and curing, the impregnated carbon is processed at elevated temperature within a controlled furnace atmosphere to produce ultra-fine, high purity synthetic materials. The proposer with technical support and assistance from its partner will attempt to validate its process concept by producing nanocrystalline boron carbide and boron nitride. The quality and particle size of the experimental products will be ascertained by advanced x-ray diffraction methods.<br/> If successful, this concept will be commercially applicable to an extremely wide range of ceramics and synthetic minerals.
