Pressure cast alumina tile reinforced aluminum alloy armor and process for producing the same

A process of forming a billet of pressure cast alumina tile reinforced aluminum alloy armor, comprising the steps of:

• inserting a silver coated 6061 aluminum disc into a mold assembly, the mold assembly including a base plate, a steel die with an inner cavity disposed on the base plate, a graphite plug disposed on the base plate in the die cavity, and a graphite punch movably disposed within the die cavity, the silver coated aluminum disc being inserted within the die cavity over the plug;
• preparing an alumina tile preform by cutting a plurality of alumina tiles and weaving the tiles together with a stiff steel wire;
• inserting the alumina tile preform into the mold assembly until the preform rests on the silver coated aluminum disc;
• heating the steel die, the plug and the disc with a resistance ring heater to a temperature of between 540.degree. C. to 560.degree. C.;
• heating the punch to a temperature of about 570.degree. C.;
• preparing a melt of molten aluminum by heating a predetermined quantity of aluminum in a muffle furnace to a temperature of 770.degree. C. under an atmosphere of argon, and skimming the melt;
• pouring the molten aluminum into the die cavity of the mold assembly, such that the tile preform is covered with molten metal;
• immediately driving the heated punch into the die cavity with an electro-hydraulic press to apply pressure to the molten aluminum, and increasing the pressure to a full pressure of 2800 psi within ten seconds after pouring the molten aluminum into the die cavity of the mold assembly;
• allowing the molten aluminum to cool below the solidus temperature of the aluminum to form a billet of pressure cast alumina tile reinforced aluminum alloy armor;
• and
• removing the billet from the mold assembly.