Process of obtaining a container made of carbon material for cooking food products
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional processes for producing kitchen containers, such as pots and pans, are expensive, time-consuming, and not well-suited for modern cooking techniques like induction heating, with issues related to corrosion, thermal shocks, and fragility.
Innovation Solution
A process involving mixing graphite powders with an organic binder, such as phenol resin, followed by hot molding and thermal treatment in a controlled oxygen environment to produce a carbon-based kitchen utensil with improved mechanical strength and conductivity, which can include an anti-adherent coating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional carbonization processes are used to produce kitchen containers, then the product achieves good mechanical strength and corrosion resistance, but the production time becomes excessively long (30-40 days) and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary shaping actions by molding the carbonized material into final product shapes before complete carbonization. The green products are formed into container shapes with handles and cooking surfaces, then carbonized in situ. This eliminates subsequent machining operations and reduces overall production time while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the carbonization temperature parameter to optimize the process. By conducting carbonization at controlled temperatures (900-1000°C) rather than the traditional 2000-2500°C required for complete graphitization, the process achieves sufficient mechanical strength in a fraction of the time (2-3 hours vs. 30-40 days), while still providing adequate corrosion and thermal shock resistance for kitchen applications.
2Strength
If high temperature carbonization (2000-2500°C) is used to achieve crystalline graphite structure, then the product obtains optimal mechanical properties, but the energy consumption and production cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the carbonization temperature parameter from the traditional 2000-2500°C required for complete graphitization to a lower range of 900-1000°C. This parameter change achieves sufficient mechanical strength and structural stability for kitchen containers without the excessive energy consumption of full graphitization, while still providing adequate corrosion and thermal shock resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention accepts a less perfect crystalline structure (amorphous to semi-crystalline carbon) compared to fully graphitized materials, recognizing that kitchen containers have finite lifecycles. This approach uses lower energy to produce adequately durable products for household use, rather than investing excessive energy in achieving near-perfect crystalline structures that would only marginally extend product life.
3Reliability
If metal containers with sand and coke are used to create oxygen-free atmosphere for carbonization, then oxidation is prevented, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses graphite powder as an intermediary material to create the oxygen-free atmosphere. The graphite powder serves multiple functions: it acts as a protective barrier preventing oxidation, provides a carbon-rich environment for carbonization, and simplifies the process by eliminating the need for complex metal containers filled with sand and coke. The graphite powder is simply mixed with the green product and carbonized together.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the protective atmosphere function with the carbonization feedstock into a single material system. Graphite powder serves both as the oxygen barrier and as the carbon source for the carbonization reaction, eliminating the need for separate protective materials like sand and coke, and simplifying the overall process equipment requirements.
4Reliability
If conventional carbonization processes are used, then corrosion resistance is achieved, but the production cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the carbonization temperature parameter to 900-1000°C, which is sufficient to achieve the necessary corrosion resistance for kitchen containers without requiring the extreme temperatures (2000-2500°C) needed for complete graphitization. This parameter optimization reduces energy consumption and production costs while maintaining adequate corrosion protection for household use.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention accepts adequately durable corrosion resistance for finite-lifecycle kitchen products rather than achieving maximum possible corrosion resistance. The lower temperature carbonization process (900-1000°C) produces amorphous to semi-crystalline carbon structures that provide sufficient corrosion and thermal shock resistance for typical kitchen use, eliminating the need for expensive full graphitization.
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 process results in a cost-effective, quicker production of kitchen utensils with enhanced mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, and resistance to corrosion and thermal shocks, suitable for induction cooking, while being eco-friendly and adaptable for various cooking methods.
Implementation Method 1
thermally treating the object within the protective container in the absence of oxygen or with oxygen in a quantity less than that of the atmosphere as long as the organic binder is transformed into carbon, in particular after having released water vapor and carbon dioxide
Implementation Method 2
loading the mixture obtained in the preceding step in a heated mold and hot molding the mixture, in order to confer the geometry of the product and to harden the binder
Implementation Method 3
the product has a porosity that needs to be reduced, in order to increase the strength, by means of a process of impregnation with liquid organic binders and subsequently another carbonization process is executed at 900-1000°C
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention regards a process for producing an object, for example a kitchen object, such as a frying pan, a bowl, a saucepan, a pan, a wok, a grill, a lid, a pot or a container, comprising the following steps: mixing powders of graphite, natural, synthetic or recycled, graphene, diamond, nanotubes, fullerenes and/or other carbon forms with an organic binder with high carbon content, until a uniform mixture is attained, said powders being present in a percentage that can vary between about 60% and about 90% by weight over the total weight of the mixture, while said organic binder being present in a percentage that can vary between about 10% and about 40% by weight over the total weight of the mixture; loading the mixture in a heated mold and hot molding said mixture so as to obtain an object; extracting said object from said mold and placing it in a protective container; and thermally treating said object within said protective container in the absence of oxygen or with oxygen in a quantity less than that of the atmosphere, as long as said organic binder is transformed into carbon.