Discontinuous short fiber preform and fiber-reinforced aluminum billet and methods of manufacturing the same

Abstract

Discontinuous fiber preforms, fiber-reinforced metal matrix composites, and methods of making same are disclosed. A fiber preform includes a milled fiber material having a weighted average fiber length of about 0.03 mm to 0.12 mm and/or a percent fiber volume fraction of the fiber preform of about 15% to about 55%. The milled fiber material is at least substantially free of a binder material. A fiber-reinforced MMC includes a milled fiber material having a weighted-average fiber length of about 0.03 mm to 0.12 mm and/or a percent fiber volume fraction of the fiber preform of about 15% to about 55%. The fiber-reinforced MMC further includes a metal infiltrated into the milled fiber material. The milled fiber material is at least substantially free of a binder material. The milled fiber can be substantially uniformly oriented and/or randomly oriented in the fiber preform and/or the fiber-reinforced MMC.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.