Cermet materials prepared by combustion synthesis and metal infiltration
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorsJoseph B. Holt, Stephen D. Dunmead, Danny C. Halverson, Richard L. Landingham
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Abstract
Ceramic-metal composites (cermets) are made by a combination of self-propagating high temperature combustion synthesis and molten metal infiltration. Solid-gas, solid-solid and solid-liquid reactions of a powder compact produce a porous ceramic body which is infiltrated by molten metal to produce a composite body of higher density. AlN-Al and many other materials can be produced.
Claims18
A method of forming a ceramic-metal composite material, comprising the steps of:
- forming an infiltratable porous ceramic skeleton by self-propagating high temperature combustion synthesis of a powder compact;
- substantially simultaneously infiltrating the thus-formed high temperature highly wettable ceramic skeleton with molten metal wherein said infiltrating step utilizes combustion heat from said combustion synthesis step.
A method of forming an AlN-Al composite material, comprising:
- forming a porous AlN ceramic body by
- forming an Al powder compact;
- placing the Al powder compact in an N.sub.2 atmosphere;
- igniting the Al powder compact in the N.sub.2 atmosphere to produce a self-propagating combustion wave in the Al compact;
- infiltrating the AlN ceramic body with molten Al.
A substantially fully dense AlN-Al composite material having a controlled amount of metal phase (Al) in a ceramic matrix (AlN).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.