The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 29, 1993
Filed:
Mar. 18, 1991
John T Burke, Hockessin, DE (US);
Lanxide Technology Company, LP, Newark, DE (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to a novel method for forming metal matrix composite bodies. A permeable mass of filler material is spontaneously infiltrated by a molten matrix metal. Particularly, an infiltration enhancer and/or an infiltration enhancer precursor and/or an infiltration atmosphere are in communication with the filler material, at least at some point during the process, which permits molten matrix metal to spontaneously infiltrate the filler material. After infiltration has been completed to a desired extent, additional matrix metal is added to that matrix metal which has spontaneously infiltrated the filler material to result in a suspension of filler material and matrix metal, said suspension having a lower volume fraction of filler relative to matrix metal. The matrix metal then can be permitted to cool in situ or the mixture of matrix metal and filler material can be poured into a second container as a casting process to form a desired shape which corresponds to the second container. However, the formed suspension, whether cast immediately after being formed or cooling and thereafter heating and casting, can be pour cast into a desired shape.