to a temperature of 1650 u00b0 to 1970 u00b0 c at atmospheric pressure the blank after cooling and removing from the mold is machined to the desired shape and given the final densification step of heating at 1850 u00b0 to 2150 u00b0 c in a relatively inert atmosphere for up to 3 hours the resulting finish silicon carbide article in both cases has a density of at least 98 of theoretical and the required dimensions needing no further processing to bring the article within the required dimensional tolerances a turbine rotor 9 75 inches in diameter was made in the following manner 3280 grams of silicon carbide powder having an average particle size of approximately 3 microns was loaded into a graphoil lined graphite mold which had a 10 inch i d and was fitted with a 6 inch arbor the silicon carbide powder was hot pressed at 1735 u00b0 c and 2500 p s i the resulting blank had a 10 inch o d a 6 inch i d was 2 inches thick and had a density of 2 g cc the blank was then machined into an accurately shaped and sized turbine rotor configuration the formed and lightly sintered rotor shape was then impregnated with a furfuryl alcohol resin solution fapreg p5 manufactured by the quaker oats co by soaking overnight in the solution the impregnant was freed of.