Ceramic-metal composites
AssigneeCoors Ceramics Company
InventorsMarcus A. Ritland, Dennis W. Readey
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Abstract
A method for fabricating ceramic-metal composites having continuous ceramic and metallic phases. In one embodiment, the metal phase includes copper metal. The method can include the steps of contacting a porous ceramic matrix material with molten metal whereby capillary action pulls the metal into the ceramic matrix to substantially fill the open void space. The present invention also provides a ceramic-metal composite having continuous metal and ceramic phases.
Claims38
A method for making a ceramic-metal composite, comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting a sintered ceramic body having at least about 5 volume percent open porosity with molten copper metal;
- (b) maintaining said sintered ceramic body in contact with said copper metal in the absence of substantial overpressure for an amount of time sufficient to infiltrate at least a portion of the open porosity in said sintered ceramic body with said copper metal;
- and
- (c) cooling said metal-infiltrated ceramic body to solidify said copper metal and form a ceramic-metal composite.
A method for making a ceramic-metal composite, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a sintered alumina ceramic body having from about 10 volume percent to about 90 volume percent open porosity;
- (b) contacting said sintered alumina ceramic body with molten copper metal;
- (c) maintaining said sintered alumina ceramic body in contact with said copper metal for an amount of time sufficient to infiltrate substantially all of the open porosity in said sintered alumina ceramic body with said copper metal;
- and
- (d) cooling said infiltrated alumina ceramic body to solidify said copper metal and form a ceramic-metal composite.
A method for making a ceramic-metal composite, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a sintered aluminum titanate ceramic body having an open porosity of at least about 5 volume percent;
- (b) contacting said sintered aluminum titanate ceramic body with molten copper metal;
- (c) maintaining said sintered aluminum titanate ceramic body in contact with said copper metal for an amount of time sufficient to infiltrate at least a portion of the open porosity in said sintered aluminum titanate ceramic body with said copper metal;
- and
- (d) cooling said infiltrated aluminum titanate ceramic body to solidify said copper metal and form a ceramic-metal composite.
A method for making a ceramic-metal composite, comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing a metal in a refractory vessel;
- (b) heating said metal to a temperature in excess of the melting temperature of said metal such that said metal is in the form of a molten pool having a top surface;
- (c) contacting a sintered ceramic body having at least about 5 volume percent open porosity with said top surface of said molten pool in the absence of substantial overpressure for a time sufficient to infiltrate at least a portion of said sintered ceramic body;
- (d) removing said sintered ceramic body from contact with said molten pool;
- and
- (e) cooling said metal-infiltrated ceramic to form a ceramic-metal composite having substantially continuous metal and ceramic phases.
A method for making a ceramic-metal composite, comprising the steps of:
- (a) contacting a sintered ceramic body having at least about 5 volume percent open and interconnected porosity with a molten metal comprising at least about 50 weight percent copper and from about 1.5 to about 10 weight percent oxygen;
- (b) maintaining said sintered ceramic body in contact with said molten metal in the absence of substantial overpressure for an amount of time sufficient to infiltrate at least a portion of said porosity with said metal;
- and
- (c) cooling said metal-infiltrated ceramic body to solidify said metal and form a ceramic-metal composite.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.