Light weight boron carbide/aluminum cermets
AssigneeThe Dow Chemical Company
InventorsAleksander J. Pyzik, Uday V. Deshmukh, Stephen D. Dunmead, Jack J. Ott, Timothy L. Allen, Harold E. Rossow
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Abstract
Subject boron carbide to a passivation treatment at a temperature within a range of 1350.degree. C. to less than 1800.degree. C. prior to infiltration with a molten metal such as aluminum. This method allows control of kinetics of metal infiltration and chemical reactions, size of reaction products and connectivity of B.sub.4 C grains and results in cermets having desired mechanical properties.
Claims14
A method for making a boron carbide/aluminum alloy composite, the method comprising infiltrating a molten aluminum alloy into a preform of boron carbide using an infiltration temperature within a range of from 850.degree. C. to less than 1200.degree. C. and an infiltration time sufficient to form a boron carbide/aluminum alloy composite wherein the boron carbide is passivated prior to infiltration at a temperature of from about 1350.degree. C. to less than 1800.degree. C. in an environment that is devoid of free carbon for a passivating period of time sufficient to reduce reactivity of the boron carbide with the molten aluminum alloy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.