Methods for forming ceramic cores are disclosed. A ceramic core formed using the method of the present application includes a silica depletion zone encapsulating an inner zone. The inner zone includes mullite and the silica depletion zone includes alumina. The method includes heat-treating a ceramic body in a non-oxidizing atmospheric condition for an effective temperature and time combination at a pressure less than 10.sup.2 atmosphere to form the silica depletion zone at a surface of the ceramic core.

Methods for forming ceramic cores are disclosed. A ceramic core formed using the method of the present application includes a silica depletion zone encapsulating an inner zone. The inner zone includes mullite and the silica depletion zone includes alumina. The method includes heat-treating a ceramic body in a non-oxidizing atmospheric condition for an effective temperature and time combination at a pressure less than 10.sup.2 atmosphere to form the silica depletion zone at a surface of the ceramic core.

A method for preparing a ceramic-modified carbon-carbon composite material. The method includes preparing and thermally treating a carbon fiber preform, and depositing pyrolytic carbon on the carbon fiber preform in a chemical vapor infiltration furnace, to yield a porous carbon-carbon composite material; placing the carbon-carbon composite material deposited with the pyrolytic carbon on a zirconium-titanium powder mixture, and performing a reactive melt infiltration, to yield a carbon-carbon composite material modified by non-stoichiometric zirconium titanium carbide; and placing the carbon-carbon composite material modified by non-stoichiometric zirconium titanium carbide in a powder mixture including carbon, boron carbide, silicon carbide, silicon, and an infiltration enhancer, and performing an embedding method, to form a ceramic-modified carbon-carbon composite material.

A method for preparing a ceramic-modified carbon-carbon composite material. The method includes preparing and thermally treating a carbon fiber preform, and depositing pyrolytic carbon on the carbon fiber preform in a chemical vapor infiltration furnace, to yield a porous carbon-carbon composite material; placing the carbon-carbon composite material deposited with the pyrolytic carbon on a zirconium-titanium powder mixture, and performing a reactive melt infiltration, to yield a carbon-carbon composite material modified by non-stoichiometric zirconium titanium carbide; and placing the carbon-carbon composite material modified by non-stoichiometric zirconium titanium carbide in a powder mixture including carbon, boron carbide, silicon carbide, silicon, and an infiltration enhancer, and performing an embedding method, to form a ceramic-modified carbon-carbon composite material.

A silicon carbide-natured refractory block includes a fire-resistant block body, and a calcination coated layer.

The fire-resistant block body includes a silicon carbide-natured refractory having a predetermined configuration. The calcination coated layer includes silicon oxide made by heating an outer superficial portion of the fire-resistant block body to oxidize at least some of silicon carbide therein to turn the silicon carbide into the silicon oxide. The silicon oxide sinters the calcination coated layer to increase the corrosion resistance.

A silicon carbide-natured refractory block includes a fire-resistant block body, and a calcination coated layer.

The fire-resistant block body includes a silicon carbide-natured refractory having a predetermined configuration. The calcination coated layer includes silicon oxide made by heating an outer superficial portion of the fire-resistant block body to oxidize at least some of silicon carbide therein to turn the silicon carbide into the silicon oxide. The silicon oxide sinters the calcination coated layer to increase the corrosion resistance.

The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article (1), the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, characterized in that the method includes the steps consisting in: taking at least one zirconia article, pre-shaped in its finished or semi-finished form; placing said article inside a chamber (10) in which a gaseous mixture is arranged, this gaseous mixture including at least a first hydrogen and carbon based gas compound in a first concentration (C1) and a second hydrogen and nitrogen based gas compound in a second concentration (C2); heating the gaseous mixture until the molecules of the first and second compounds dissociate and keeping said article in the reactive atmosphere thereby created to obtain diffusion of the carbon and nitrogen atoms in the external surface (2) of said article and to form stoichiometric carbonitride (ZrC.sub.xN.sub.y) at the surface, and prior to the step of heating the process gases contained in the chamber, a reduction step consisting in placing said article inside a chamber into which dihydrogen is injected and in heating the dihydrogen allowing diffusion towards the surface and release of the oxygen contained in said zirconia article.

The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article (1), the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, characterized in that the method includes the steps consisting in: taking at least one zirconia article, pre-shaped in its finished or semi-finished form; placing said article inside a chamber (10) in which a gaseous mixture is arranged, this gaseous mixture including at least a first hydrogen and carbon based gas compound in a first concentration (C1) and a second hydrogen and nitrogen based gas compound in a second concentration (C2); heating the gaseous mixture until the molecules of the first and second compounds dissociate and keeping said article in the reactive atmosphere thereby created to obtain diffusion of the carbon and nitrogen atoms in the external surface (2) of said article and to form stoichiometric carbonitride (ZrC.sub.xN.sub.y) at the surface, and prior to the step of heating the process gases contained in the chamber, a reduction step consisting in placing said article inside a chamber into which dihydrogen is injected and in heating the dihydrogen allowing diffusion towards the surface and release of the oxygen contained in said zirconia article.

A method preparing a metals carbides multilayer coating on at least one surface of a first carbon layer of a substrate, or under the surface inside the first carbon layer, by a reactive melt infiltration technique, includes: a) putting the surface into contact with a solid metal disilicide MSi.sub.2, M is selected from hafnium, titanium, and tantalum; b) heating the substrate and the metal disilicide to above the melting temperature of the metal disilicide; c) observing a plateau at the temperature for a sufficient duration so that the metal disilicide reacts with the carbon and forms a first multilayer coating including a dense and continuous layer of SiC, fully covered by a dense and continuous layer of MC; d) cooling the part with the first multilayer coating; and then, at the end of d), optionally e) depositing a second carbon layer at the surface of the first multilayer coating.

A method preparing a metals carbides multilayer coating on at least one surface of a first carbon layer of a substrate, or under the surface inside the first carbon layer, by a reactive melt infiltration technique, includes: a) putting the surface into contact with a solid metal disilicide MSi.sub.2, M is selected from hafnium, titanium, and tantalum; b) heating the substrate and the metal disilicide to above the melting temperature of the metal disilicide; c) observing a plateau at the temperature for a sufficient duration so that the metal disilicide reacts with the carbon and forms a first multilayer coating including a dense and continuous layer of SiC, fully covered by a dense and continuous layer of MC; d) cooling the part with the first multilayer coating; and then, at the end of d), optionally e) depositing a second carbon layer at the surface of the first multilayer coating.