Composite material with light matrix metal and with reinforcing fiber material being short fiber material mixed with potassium titanate whiskers

Abstract

A composite material is made from reinforcing fiber material embedded in a matrix of metal. The matrix metal is a light metal such as aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy. The reinforcing fiber material is a mixture of potassium titanate whiskers and a short fiber material, which is one or a mixture of: silicon carbide whiskers, silicon nitride whiskers, alumina short fibers, crystalline alumina-silica short fibers, and amorphous alumina-silica short fibers. The overall volume proportion of the reinforcing fiber material in the composite material is between approximately 5% and approximately 50%, and more desirably may be between approximately 5% and approximately 40%, and even more desirably may be between approximately 10% and approximately 40%. And the relative volume proportion of the potassium titanate whiskers in the reinforcing fiber material is from about 10% to about 80%, and more desirably may be between approximately 10% and approximately 70%, and even more desirably may be between approximately 20% and approximately 60%.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.