Zinc oxide whiskers having a tetrapod crystalline form and method for making the same

• Main Authors: MISAKI, TOSHIHIRO, ASAKURA, EIZO, YOSHINAKA, MINORU, KITANO, MOTOI, YOSHIDA, HIDEYUKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 02.08.1989
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUSPOLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CEMENTS; CERAMICS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDINGMATERIALS; CONCRETE; CRYSTAL GROWTH; LIME, MAGNESIA; METALLURGY; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; REFRACTORIES; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE-CRYSTAL-GROWTH; SLAG; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL ORUNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; USE OF INORGANIC OR NON-MACROMOLECULAR ORGANIC SUBSTANCES ASCOMPOUNDING INGREDIENTS

The invention relates to whiskers of zinc oxide whose crystal structure includes a central body and four needle crystal projections radially extending from said central body are described. The whiskers are so unique a structure they they are applicable to various materials such as metals, resins, ceramics and the like as a reinforcing material. The whiskers may be in the form of a mixture of whiskers of zinc oxide having crystal structures including two, three, four and/or five needle crystal projections. A method for preparing such whiskers is also described in which a metallic zinc powder having an oxide film thereon is provided and thermally treated to form a whisker product.