Silicon carbide whisker composites
AssigneeAtlantic Richfield Company
InventorsPaul E. Hood, John O. Pickens
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Abstract
The invention features a method and resultant article of the method, wherein deagglomerated silicon carbide whiskers are uniformly dispersed and/or distributed in a matrix material, generally a metal. The uniform distribution achieved by the invention greatly enhances the mechanical properties of the composite, such as the ultimate strength. The method comprises the deagglomeration of silicon carbide whiskers prior to mixing with matrix materials.
Claims9
A method of preparing a composite material including a reinforced matrix of substantially uniformly distributed deagglomerated silicon carbide whiskers, comprising the steps of:
- (a) deagglomerating agglomerated silicon carbide whiskers by mixing with a polar solvent and milling under conditions that result in a mixture substantially free from agglomeration;
- and
- (b) mixing the deagglomerated whiskers with a matrix material to form a mixture of substantially uniformly and homogeneously dispersed whiskers within said matrix material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.