Lanxide Technology Company, LP

Danny R White

Marc S Newkirk

Michael K Aghajanian

Christopher R Kennedy

Andrew W Urquhart

Terry D Claar

Michael A Rocazella

William B Johnson

Ratnesh K Dwivedi

Jerry G Weinstein

Kevin P Pochopien

Steven M Mason

Robert C Kantner

Alan S Nagelberg

Adam J Gesing

Edward S Luce

Narashima S Raghavan

Robert J Wiener

Steven D Keck

Harold D Lesher

Dave K Creber

Jeffrey R Ramberg

Mark Gordon Mortenson

Gerhard H Schiroky

Stanislav Antolin

Paul W Niskanen

Peter M Engelgau

Harry Richard Zwicker

Kurt J Becker

Gregory E Hannon

John T Burke

H Daniel Lesher

Eugene S Park

Robert C Kanter

Cheng-Tsin Lee

Mark G Mortensen

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 for in situ tailoring the component of ceramic articles

The present invention relates to the formation of a macrocomposite body by spontaneously infiltrating a permeable mass of filler material or a preform with molten matrix metal and bonding the spontaneously infiltrated material to at least one second material such as a ceramic or ceramic containing body and/or a metal or metal containing body. Particularly, an infiltration enhancer and/or infiltration enhancer precursor and/or infiltrating atmosphere are in communication with a filler material or a preform, at least at some point during the process, which permits molten matrix metal to spontaneously infiltrate the filler material or preform. Moreover, prior to infiltration, the filler material or preform is placed into contact with at least a portion of a second material such that after infiltation of the filler material or preform, the infiltrated material is bonded to the second material, thereby forming a macrocomposite body.

Macrocomposite bodies

The present invention relates to the formation of a macrocomposite body for use as an electronic package or container. The macrocomposite body is formed by spontaneously infiltrating a permeable mass of filler material or a preform with molten matrix metal and bonding the spontaneously infiltrated material to at least one second material such as a ceramic or ceramic containing body or a metal or metal containing body. Moreover, prior to infiltration, the filler material or preform is placed into contact with at least a portion of a second material such that after infiltration of the filler material or preform by molten matrix metal, the infiltrated material is bonded to said second material, thereby forming a macrocomposite body. The macrocomposite body may then be coated by techniques according to the present invention to enhance its performance or bonding capabilities.

Methods of forming electronic packages

Method for forming bodies by reactive infiltration

The present invention relates to a novel process for making a macrocomposite body. Specifically, a metal matrix composite body is first formed and thereafter, a ceramic body or a ceramic matrix composite body is caused to form from at least one surface of the already formed metal matrix composite body. The ceramic or ceramic composite body can be formed by, for example, changing from spontaneous infiltration conditions which permit a molten matrix metal to infiltrate a filler material or preform to conditions which favor the growth of a ceramic oxidation reaction product from the matrix metal (e.g., the matrix metal serves the dual role of a matrix metal and a parent metal for growth of oxidation reaction product). The growth of oxidation reaction product can occur from one or more surfaces of a metal matrix composite body and can be controlled to result in any desired shape. Moreover, the oxidation reaction product can be caused to grow directly into an atmosphere to form a ceramic body or can be caused to grow into an adjacently located filler material to form a ceramic matrix composite body. The oxidation reaction product can be formed substantially immediately after the metal matrix composite body is formed or may be formed at any point later in time.

Macrocomposite bodies and production methods

A method for manufacture of Group IVB metal carbide comprising a carbide of a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, hafnium and zirconium ceramic composites is provided wherein a permeable mass of filler and carbon is contacted with a molten Group IVB metal. The molten metal is maintained in contact with the permeable mass for a sufficient period to infiltrate the permeable mass and to react the molten metal with the carbon source to form a Group IVB metal carbide composite. The permeable mass may comprise a Group IVB metal carbide, or other inert filler, or a combination of filler materials.

Production of metal carbide articles

Self-supporting ceramic bodies comprising a polycrystalline material comprising the oxidation reaction product of a parent metal and having therein one or more channels which inversely replicate the geometry of the configured fugitive metal are formed. These self-supporting bodies may be utilized as articles for regulating and facilitating the passage of a fluid therethrough.

Ceramic articles having channels for regulating the passage of fluids

The present invention relates to golf clubs and particularly the invention relates to improved golf club heads which utilize composite materials in at least a portion therein. Potentially acceptable composite materials includes: metal matrix composite and/or ceramic matrix composite materials. The use of metal matrix or ceramic matrix composite materials in golf club heads result in improved clubs.

Composite golf club head

Self-supporting bodies are produced by reactive infiltration of a parent metal into a boron carbide material which may contain one or both of a boron donor material and a carbon donor material. The reactive infiltration typically results in a composite comprising a boron-containing compound, a carbon-containing compound and residual metal, if desired. The mass to be infiltrated may contain one or more inert fillers admixed with the boron carbide material, boron-containing compound and/or carbon-containing compound. The relative amounts of reactants and process conditions may be altered or controlled to yield a body containing varying volume percents of ceramic, metal, ratios of one ceramic to another and porosity.

Self-supporting bodies

Self-supporting bodies are produced by reactive infiltration of a parent metal into a boron nitride material typically resulting in a body comprising a boron-containing compound, a nitrogen-containing compound and metal. The mass to be infiltrated may contain one or more inert fillers admixed with the boron nitride, to produce a composite by reactive infiltration, which composite comprises a matrix which embeds the filler material. The matrix, in a composite body containing filler material, comprises one or more of metal, a boron-containing compound and a nitrogen-containing compound. The relative amounts of reactants and process conditions may be altered or controlled to yield a body containing varying volume percents of ceramic, metal and/or porosity. The mass to be infiltrated can be contained within a refractory vessel having a venting means included therein.

Self-supporting composite bodies

There is disclosed a method for producing a self-supporting ceramic body by oxidation of a molten precursor metal with a vapor-phase oxidant to form an oxidation reaction product and inducing a molten flux comprising said molten precursor metal through said oxidation reaction product. A second metal is incorporated into said molten flux during the oxidation reaction. The resulting ceramic body includes sufficient second metal such that one or more properties of said ceramic body are at least partially affected by the presence and properties of said second metal in the metallic constituent.

A method for producing a self-supporting ceramic composite body which comprises preparing a polycrystalline material as the oxidation reaction product of a parent metal with a vapor-phase oxidant, comminuting the resulting material to a particulate, forming a permeable mass of said particulate as filler, and infiltrating said particulate with an oxidation reaction product of a parent metal with a vapor-phase oxidant, thereby forming said ceramic composite body.

Method for producing composite ceramic structures

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

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Elkton, MD, United States of America

Danny R White