Lanxide Technology Company, LP

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Fraunhofer Usa, Inc.

Terry D Claar

William B Johnson

Gerhard H Schiroky

Danny R White

Michael K Aghajanian

Vilupanur Alwar Ravi

Kevin P Pochopien

Philip J Roach

Steven M Mason

James C Wang

Robert A Rapp

Marc S Newkirk

Andrew W Urquhart

Harry Richard Zwicker

Harold D Lesher

Michael A Richmond

Donald P Ripa

Barry Robert Rossing

Ratnesh K Dwivedi

Adam J Gesing

Alan S Nagelberg

Roger B Poeppel

Jack A Kuszyk

Eugene S Park

John P Biel, Jr

Narasimha S Raghavan

Steven D Poste

David K Creber

Craig B Shumaker

Philip Joseph Roach

Marek J Sobczyk

John Peter Biel

Peter Silkowski

Harald H Eifert

Chin-Jye Yu

In a multi-layer armor system ( ), useful for military vehicles, a metallic foam is provided as the shock energy-absorbing element. In a typical arrangement, the metallic foam shock-absorbing element ( ) is sandwiched between a high strength strike plate ( ) and a backing plate ( ). Typically, the backing plate is a highly deforming metal, such as titanium, aluminum, or steel. However, the backing plate may comprise one or more layers of metal, ceramic or polymer-based composites. The high strength strike plate may be ceramic or metal. The shock-absorbing element is preferably a closed-cell metal foam with a high porosity that is effective in containing rearward deformation of the strike plate from a projectile strike. In a preferred embodiment, the shock-absorbing element is an aluminum foam with a porosity of 80 percent by volume.

Use of metal foams in armor systems

This invention relates generally to a novel directed metal oxidation process which is utilized to produce self-supporting bodies. In some of the more specific aspects of the invention, a parent metal (e.g., a parent metal vapor) is induced to react with at least one solid oxidant-containing material to result in the directed growth of a reaction product which is formed from a reaction between the parent metal and the solid oxidant-containing material. The inventive process can be utilized to form bodies having substantially homogeneous compositions, graded compositions, and macrocomposite bodies. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction product may be chemically modified or a different reaction product may be coated thereon. Specifically, once a first reaction product is formed on a solid oxidant-containing material, the formed body may be exposed to a vapor-phase parent metal different from the first parent metal. Alternatively the formed body may be exposed to a vapor-phase oxidant having a different chemical composition then the solid oxidant-containing material. Still further, a non-stoichiometric reaction product deficient in the oxidant component may be made more stoichiometric by heating the self-supporting body in the absence of reaction product growth conditions at a temperature and for a time sufficient to effect diffusion of additional oxidant from the solid oxidant-containing material into the sub-stoichiometric reaction product, thereby increasing its stoichiometry.

Composite bodies and methods for making same

This invention relates generally to a novel directed metal oxidation process which is utilized to produce self-supporting bodies. In some of the more specific aspects of the invention, a parent metal (e.g., a parent metal vapor) is induced to react with at least one solid oxidant-containing material to result in the directed growth of a reaction product which is formed from a reaction between the parent metal and the solid oxidant-containing material. The inventive process can be utilized to form bodies having substantially homogeneous compositions, graded compositions, and macrocomposite bodies. In a preferred embodiment, a substance comprising a filler material and a solid oxidant, preferably an admixture of particulates, is coated onto at least a portion of the solid oxidant-containing material. Such a technique is particularly advantageous for forming relatively thick reaction product layers which might not otherwise develop to the desired thickness using the original 'directed growth' embodiment. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the solid oxidant and the solid oxidant-containing material have the same chemical composition, and the filler material and the reaction product have the same chemical composition.

Method for making self-supporting composite bodies

This invention relates generally to a novel directed metal oxidation process which is utilized to produce self-supporting bodies. In some of the more specific aspects of the invention, a parent metal (e.g., a parent metal vapor) is induced to react with at least one solid oxidant-containing material to result in the directed growth of a reaction product which is formed from a reaction between the parent metal and the solid oxidant-containing material. The inventive process can be utilized to form bodies having substantially homogeneous compositions, graded compositions, and macrocomposite bodies. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction product may be chemically modified or a different reaction product may be coated thereon. Specifically, once a first reaction product is formed on a solid oxidant-containing material, the formed body may be exposed to a vapor-phase parent metal different from the first parent metal. Alternatively, the formed body may be exposed to a vapor-phase oxidant having a different chemical composition then the solid oxidant-containing material. Still further, a non-stoichiometric reaction product deficient in the oxidant component may be made more stoichiometric by heating the self-supporting body in the absence of reaction product growth conditions at a temperature and for a time sufficient to effect diffusion of additional oxidant from the solid oxidant-containing material into the sub-stoichiometric reaction product, thereby increasing its stoichiometry.

Method for making self supporting composite bodies

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

This invention relates generally to a novel method of manufacturing a composite body and to novel products made thereby. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of producing a self-supporting composite body comprising one or more boron-containing compounds, e.g., a boride or a boride and carbide, by reactive infiltration of molten parent metal into a bed or mass containing boron carbide, and, optionally, one or more inert fillers and permitting residual or excess parent metal to remain bonded to the formed self-supporting composite body. The residual or excess metal is used to form a bond between the formed composite body and another body (e.g., a metal body, a ceramic body, or another composite body). In addition, this invention related to alternative methods of disposing metal on at least one surface of the above-described composite bodies (such as sputtering, CVD, etc.) to permit the composite bodies to be bonded to another body.

Macrocomposite bodies

Method for forming bodies by reactive infiltration

A net shaped ceramic-reinforced aluminum matrix composite is provided by forming a permeable mass of ceramic material with a defined surface boundary having a barrier, and contacting a molten aluminum-magnesium alloy with the permeable mass of ceramic material in the presence of a gas comprising from about 10 to 100% nitrogen, by volume, balance nonoxidizing gas, e.g. hydrogen or argon. Under these conditions, the molten alloy spontaneously infiltrates the ceramic mass under normal atmospheric pressures until it reaches the barrier. A solid body of the alloy can be placed adjacent to a permeable bedding of ceramic material having a barrier, and brought to the molten state, preferably to at least about 700.degree. C., in order to form the net shape aluminum matrix composite by spontaneous 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.

Method of making metal matrix composite with the use of a barrier

This invention relates generally to a novel method of manufacturing a composite body, such as a ZrB.sub.2 --ZrC--Zr (optional) composite body, by utilizing a post-treatment process and to the novel products made thereby. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of modifying a composite body comprising one or more boron-containing compounds (e.g., a boride or a boride and a carbide) which has been made by the reactive infiltration of a molten parent metal into a bed or mass containing boron carbide, and optionally one or more inert fillers, to form the body.

Method of modifying ceramic composite bodies by a post-treatment process

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

Additives for property modification in ceramic composite bodies

Joining methods for ceramic composite bodies

This invention relates generally to a novel method of preparing self-supporting bodies, and novel products made thereby. In its more specific aspects, this invention relates to a method for producing self-supporting bodies comprising one or more boron-containing compounds (e.g., a boride or a boride and a carbide, etc.) by reactive infiltration of molten parent metal into a preform comprising boron carbide or a boron donor material combined with a carbon donor material and, optionally, one or more inert fillers, to form the body. Specifically, a boron carbide material or combination of a boron donor material and a carbon donor material, and in either case, optionally, one or more inert fillers, are sedimentation cast, spray coated, tapped, slip cast, pressed, etc., onto or into a body and into a particular desired shape.

Method of producing ceramic composite bodies

This invention relates generally to a novel method of preparing self-supporting bodies, and novel products made thereby. In its more specific aspects, this invention relates to a method for producing self-supporting bodies comprising one or more boron-containing compounds, e.g., a boride or a boride and a carbide, by reactive infiltration of molten parent metal into a preform comprising boron carbide or a boron donor material combined with a carbon donor material and, optionally, one or more inert fillers, to form the body. Specifically, a boron carbide material or combination of a boron donor material and a carbon donor material, and in either case, optionally, one or more inert fillers, are sedimentation cast, slip cast or pressed onto or into a body and into a particular desired shape.

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Newark, DE, United States of America

Terry D Claar