Boron Nitride Setter Pore Control for Ceramic Firing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing setters formed using hexagonal boron nitride powder can lead to variations in ceramic plate quality, including insufficient sintering, strength issues, and color unevenness, due to impaired gas escape and sintering aid loss during firing.

Innovation Solution

A setter composed of a boron nitride sintered plate with a porosity of 8 vol% or higher and a proportion of pores with diameters between 0.2 to 0.9 µm, measured by mercury porosimetry, which facilitates gas escape and maintains airtightness during firing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If a porous sintered body is used as a setter to enable gas escape during degreasing, then gas escape is facilitated, but airtightness during firing is compromised leading to sintering aid loss

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas escape during degreasingVSAvoidairtightness during firing
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the pore diameter parameter to a specific range (0.2 to 0.9 μm) and controls porosity (8 vol% or higher) to achieve both gas escape during degreasing and airtightness during firing. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction by finding the optimal pore size that allows low-temperature gas permeation while maintaining high-temperature airtightness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention utilizes thermal expansion characteristics of the sintered body to close pores at high firing temperatures, transforming the porous structure into an airtight structure during firing. This thermal transformation resolves the contradiction between needing open pores for gas escape and closed pores for airtightness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #37Thermal expansion

2Object-generated harmful factors

If pore diameters are large to facilitate gas escape, then gas escape is improved, but sintering aid escapes to the outside before sintering

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas escape during degreasingVSAvoidsintering aid loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the pore diameter parameter to a specific range (0.2 to 0.9 μm) that allows gas escape during degreasing while preventing sintering aid escape during firing. This precise parameter control resolves the contradiction between gas permeability and substance retention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-generated harmful factors

If porosity is high to enable gas escape, then gas escape is facilitated, but sintering uniformity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegas escape during degreasingVSAvoidsintering uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes porosity to a specific range (8 vol% or higher) that balances gas escape capability with sintering uniformity. This controlled porosity level resolves the contradiction between gas permeability and sintering quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The proposed setter design ensures effective gas escape during degreasing, suppresses the loss of sintering aids, and promotes uniform sintering, resulting in high-quality ceramic plates with improved strength and reduced color unevenness.

Implementation Method 1

enables at least part of gases that are generated at the time of degreasing green sheets to escape to the outside through pores in the porous body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGas diffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 2

escape to the outside through pores in the porous body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPermeation: Permeation

Implementation Method 3

decrease the pore diameters by contraction at high temperatures, which is a feature of boron nitride sintered plates

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal contraction: Thermal Contraction

Data Source

PatentEP4317110B1Setter for ceramic firing
Publication Date: 2025.06.04 DENKA CO LTD
  • EP4317110B1 patent drawingFigure 1

AI summary

An aspect of the present disclosure provides a setter for ceramic firing, in which the setter is composed of a boron nitride sintered plate having a plurality of pores, a porosity is 8 vol% or higher, and a proportion of pores having a pore diameter of 0.2 to 0.9 µm is 76% to 95% of all pores, the pore diameter being measured with a mercury porosimeter.