Reinforced material incorporating fine composite powder and method and apparatus for making the same

A device for making a composite material, comprising:

• a first vaporization chamber for producing a first metal vapor in;
• means for heating said first vaporization chamber;
• an exit flow path from said first vaporization chamber, comprising a first expansion nozzle means therealong;
• means for introducing a flow of reaction gas to be mixed with said metal vapor at the upstream of said first nozzle means;
• a second vaporization chamber for producing a second metal vapor in;
• means for heating said second vaporization chamber;
• an exit flow path from second vaporization chamber which leads into a mixing area where said second metal vapor is mixed with the mixture of said reaction gas and said first metal vapor after said mixture has flowed through said first nozzle means;
• a second expansion nozzle means which leads from said mixing area;
• a composite material production zone into which said second nozzle means leads;
• a molten metal bath in said composite material zone into which a flow out from said second nozzle means is directed;
• and means for evacuating the interior of said device.

A method for making a composite material comprising a matrix of a first metal and reinforcing first particles with average particle diameter less than or equal to about ten microns dispersed in said matrix of said first metal, said reinforcing first particles each having a composite structure which comprises a plurality of fine second particles of a ceramic made by reacting together a second metal and a gas and being combined by a matrix of a third metal, comprising the steps of:

• mixing vapor of said second metal with said reaction gas and directing the mixture thereof through a first expansion nozzle means for adiabatic expansion cooling to generate fine particles of the compound of said second metal and said reaction gas;
• producing vapor of said third metal and mixing it in with said fine particles of said compound at the downstream of said first nozzle means;
• directing the resulting mixture through a second expansion nozzle means;
• and
• directing an output flow from said second nozzle means into a bath of said first metal.