Lanxide Technology Company, LP

Andrew W Urquhart

Marc S Newkirk

Danny R White

Harry Richard Zwicker

H Daniel Lesher

Michael K Aghajanian

Christopher R Kennedy

Alan S Nagelberg

Harold D Lesher

Mark Gordon Mortenson

Robert A Rapp

Vilupanur Alwar Ravi

Stanley J Luszcz

Dave K Creber

Jeffrey R Ramberg

Terry D Claar

Jack A Kuszyk

E Allen LaRoche, Jr

John P Biel, Jr

Craig B Shumaker

Stanley J Luxzsz

John Peter Biel

A ceramic-reinforced aluminum matrix composite is formed by contacting a molten aluminum-magnesium alloy with a permeable mass of ceramic material in the presence of a gas comprising from about 10 to 100% nitrogen, by volume, balance non-oxidizing gas, e.g., hydrogen or argon. Under these conditions, the molten alloy spontaneously infiltrates the ceramic mass under normal atmospheric pressures. A solid body of the alloy can be placed adjacent a permeable bedding of ceramic material, and brought to the molten state, preferably to at least about 700.degree. C., in order to form the aluminum matrix composite by infiltration. In addition to magnesium, auxiliary alloying elements may be employed with aluminum. The resulting composite products may contain a discontinuous aluminum nitride phase in the aluminum matrix and/or an aluminum nitride external surface layer.

Metal matrix composites

Method of modifying the properties of a metal matrix composite body

A method of making self-supporting ceramic composite structures having filler embedded therein includes infiltrating a permeable mass of filler with polycrystalline material comprising an oxidation reaction product obtained by oxidation of a parent metal such as aluminum. The self-supporting ceramic composite structure optionally contains therein non-oxidized constituents of the parent metal. The structure is formed by placing a parent metal adjacent to a permeable filler and heating the assembly to melt the parent metal and provide a molten body of parent metal which is contacted with a suitable oxidant. Within a certain temperature region and optionally, aided by one or more dopants in or on the parent metal, molten parent metal will migrate through previously formed oxidation reaction product into contact with the oxidant, causing the oxidation reaction product to grow so as to embed the adjacent filler and provide the composite structure. The parent metal may be provided as a body of metal placed in contact with an exterior surface of the permeable mass. Alternatively, the parent metal may be placed adjacent to the filler material by admixing a plurality of discrete bodies of parent metal (e.g., particulate metal) into the permeable mass. In this embodiment, the growth of oxidation reaction product still embeds the adjacent filler material without substantial change in the size or shape of the permeable mass, but does not result in the creation of voids at the former locations of the bodies of parent metal.

Methods of making composite ceramic articles having embedded filler

The present invention broadly relates to novel complex oxidation reaction products such as perovskite bodies, including shaped complex oxidation reaction products. This invention also includes complex oxidation reaction products which exhibit superconducting properties.

Complex perovskite oxidation reaction products

The present invention relates to modifying the properties of a metal matrix composite body by a post formation process treatment and/or a substantially contiguous modification treatment. The post formation process treatment may be applicable to a variety of metal matrix composite bodies produced by various techniques, and is particularly applicable to modifying the properties of a metal matrix composite body produced by a spontaneous infiltration technique. The substantially contiguous modification process may also be used primarily in conjunction with metal matrix composite bodies produced according to a spontaneous infiltration technique. Particularly, at least a portion of the matrix metal of the metal matrix composite body and/or the filler material of the metal matrix composite body is modified or altered during and/or after the formation process.

A method of producing a self-supporting ceramic composite body having therein at least one cavity which inversely replicates the geometry of a positive mold of parent metal. The method includes embedding the mold of parent metal within a conformable bed of filler to provide therein a cavity shaped and filled by the mold. The assembly is heated to melt the parent metal mold, e.g., an aluminum parent metal mold, and contacted with an oxidant to oxidize the molten parent metal to form a polycrystalline material which grows through the surrounding bed of filler, the molten metal being drawn through the growing polycrystalline material to be oxidized at the interface between the oxidant and previously formed oxidation reaction product whereby the cavity formerly filled by the mold of parent metal is eventually evacuated of the metal. There remains behind a cavity whose shape inversely replicates the original shape of the mold. The method provides ceramic composite articles having therein at least one cavity inversely replicating the shape of the mold which supplied the parent metal for oxidation.

Inverse shape replication method of making ceramic composite articles

The present invention relates to a method of armoring a vehicle with a novel armor material. Particularly, a metal matrix composite body is formed with a filler material and an aluminum matrix metal, wherein the filler material comprises magnesia or titanium diboride and is present in an amount of at least 40 percent by volume. The metal matrix composite body is then placed on a portion of a vehicle.

Method of armoring a vehicle with an anti-ballistic material

A method of making self-supporting ceramic composite structures having filler embedded therein includes infiltrating a permeable mass of filler with polycrystalline material comprising an oxidation reaction product obtained by oxidation of a parent metal such as aluminum and optionally, containing therein non-oxidized constituents of the parent metal. The structure is formed by placing a parent metal adjacent to a permeable filler and heating the assembly to melt the parent metal and provide a molten body of parent metal which is contacted with a suitable vapor-phase oxidant. Within a certain temperature region and optionally, aided by one or more dopants in or on the parent metal, molten parent metal will migrate through previously formed oxidation reaction product into contact with the oxidant, causing the oxidation reaction product to grow so as to embed the adjacent filler and provide the composite structure. In a preferred embodiment, a parent metal comprising aluminum is oxidized by a vapor-phase oxidant comprising nitrogen to form a ceramic matrix comprising an aluminum nitride oxidation reaction product. In a particularly preferred embodiment, one or more protective coatings are applied to the filler prior to formation of the aluminum nitride oxidation reaction product matrix.

Methods of making composite aluminum nitride ceramic articles having

Self-supporting ceramic composite structures having filler embedded therein are taught as being produced by a method which includes infiltrating a permeable mass of filler with polycrystalline material comprising an oxidation reaction product obtained by oxidation of a parent metal such as aluminum and optionally containing therein non-oxidized constituents of the parent metal. The structure is formed by placing a parent metal adjacent to a permeable filler and heating the assembly to melt the parent metal and provide a molten body of parent metal which is contacted with a suitable vapor-phase oxidant. Within a certain temperature region and optionally aided by one or more dopants in or on the parent metal, molten parent metal will migrate through previously formed oxidation reaction product into contact with the oxidant, causing the oxidation reaction product to grow so as to embed the adjacent filler and provide the composite structure.

Composite ceramic articles

The present invention relates to modifying the properties of a metal matrix composite body by a post formation process modification treatment. The post formation process treatment may be applicable to a variety of metal matrix composite bodies produced by various techniques, and is particularly applicable to modifying the properties of a metal matrix composite body produced by a spontaneous infiltration technique. Particularly, at least a portion of the matrix metal of the metal matrix composite body and/or the filler material of the metal matrix composite body is modified or altered after the formation process. Preferably, the preform contains a second non-metal material, an infiltration enhancer of infiltration enhancer precursor, and an infiltration atmosphere.

A method of producing self-supporting ceramic bodies having a modified metal-containing component includes first providing a a self-supporting ceramic body comprising (i) a polycrystalline oxidation reaction product formed upon oxidation of a molten parent metal precursor with an oxidant, and (ii) an interconnected metal-containing component at least partially accessible from one or more surfaces of said ceramic body. The surface or surfaces of the ceramic body is contacted with a quantity of foreign metal different from said interconnected metal-containing component at a temperature and for a time sufficient to allow for interdiffusion, whereby at least a portion of said metal-containing component is displaced by said foreign metal. The resulting ceramic body, having an altered metal-containing component, exhibits modified or improved properties.

Ceramic articles with a modified metal-containing component and methods

In a method for producing ceramic body by oxidation of a parent metal having a graded microstructure characterized by a plurality of zones differing from each other in one or more properties by altering the process conditions during formation of said ceramic body such that a zone of the oxidation reaction product formed posterior to said altering has one or more properties different from a zone of the oxidation reaction product formed anterior to said altering.

Method for producing self-supporting ceramic bodies with graded

The invention relates to a method for producing ceramic composites obtained by oxidation of a parent metal to form a polycrystalline ceramic material by providing a filler having a coating of a silicon source on at least a portion of the filler different in composition from the primary composition of the filler, said silicon source possessing intrinsic doping properties. A body of molten parent metal, adjacent a mass of the filter material, reacts with an oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product which infiltrates the adjacent mass of filler, thereby forming the ceramic composite.

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Newark, DE, United States of America

Andrew W Urquhart