Cerium Oxide-Metal/Metalloid Oxide Mixture

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a finely-divided cerium oxide-metal/metalloid oxide mixture, the method of manufacturing it and the use thereof.

The invention provides a finely-divided cerium oxide metal/metalloid oxide mixture containing pyrogenically produced metal/metalloid oxide and 0.001 to 95 wt. % cerium oxide, the resulting mixture having a specific surface area between 10 and 400 m.sup.2 /g.

The invention also provides a method of producing the finely-divided cerium oxide-metal/metalloid oxide mixture, characterized in that pyrogenically produced metal/metalloid oxide, particularly by flame hydrolysis and having a specific surface area between 30 and 400 m.sup.2 /g is intensively mixed with a cerium compound decomposable to the oxide at elevated temperature, preferably the cerium carbonate, and the cerium compound is thermally decomposed to the oxide, preferably at temperatures between 300 and 600.degree. C. and for sintering times between 0.5 and 10 hours.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, optionally at least one of the metal/metalloid oxides produced pyrogenically, especially by flame hydrolysis, and in the form of oxides of silicon, aluminum, boron, titanium or zirconium or mixtures thereof or mixed oxides thereof is intensively mixed with a cerium compound decomposable to the oxide at elevated temperature and the cerium compound is thermally decomposed to the oxide.

The mixture according to the invention can be used alone or in suspension as a polishing agent for polishing silicon wafers or for other polishing operations occurring in the electronics industry. It can also be used as a UV-absorbing filler for filling of polymers.

950 g of OX 50 pyrogenic silica was intensively mixed with 83.5 g of cerium carbonate (Ce.sub.2 (CO.sub.3).sub.3 .times.5H.sub.2 O) for 30 minutes in a Lodige mixer. The powder was then heat-treated in air at a temperature of 400.degree. C. for 1 hour. The content of cerium oxide was 5 wt. % and the resulting BET surface area was 44 m.sup.2 /g.

950 g of OX 50 pyrogenic silica was intensively mixed with 83.5 g of cerium carbonate (Ce.sub.2 (CO.sub.3).sub.3 .times.5H.sub.2 O) for 30 minutes in a Lodige mixer. The powder was then heat-treated in air at a temperature of 500.degree. C. for 1 hour. The content of cerium oxide was 5 wt. % and the resulting BET surface area was 41 m.sup.2 /g.

900 g of OX 50 pyrogenic silica was intensively mixed with 167 g of cerium carbonate (Ce.sub.2 (CO.sub.3).sub.3 .times.5H.sub.2 O) for 30 minutes in a Lodige mixer. The powder was then heat-treated in air at a temperature of 400.degree. C. for 1 hour. The content of cerium oxide was 10 wt. % and the resulting BET surface area was 44 m.sup.2 /g .

900 g of OX 50 pyrogenic silica was intensively mixed with 167 g of cerium carbonate (Ce.sub.2 (CO.sub.3).sub.3 .times.5H.sub.2 O) for 30 minutes in a Lodige mixer. The powder was then heat-treated in air at a temperature of 500.degree. C. for 1 hour. The content of cerium oxide was 10 wt. % and the resulting BET surface area was 42 m.sup.2 /g.

Analysis of the powder samples in Examples 1 to 4:

Loss on drying (2 hours at 105.degree. C., according to DIN/ISO 787/II, ASTM D 280, JIS K 5101/21).

Ignition loss (2 hours at 1000.degree. C., according to DIN 55921, ASTM D 1208, JIS K 5101/23, relative to the substance dried for 2 hours at 105.degree. C.).

The pyrogenic OX 50 silica, produced by flame hydrolysis of SiCl.sub.4 (manufactured by Degussa) has the following physical and chemical characteristics: