Fabrication of interleaved metallic and intermetallic composite laminate materials

A method of making a composite laminate material comprising:

• interleaving
• a plurality of first foils made from one or more of first metals and metal alloys from the group consisting of titanium, nickel, vanadium, iron and alloys and combinations of titanium, nickel, vanadium and iron, with
• a plurality of second foils made from one or more of second metals and metal alloys from the group consisting of aluminum and alloys of aluminum;
• and
• reacting under heat and pressure in the presence of atmospheric gases the plurality of first foils with the plurality of second foils so as to substantially completely react the one or more of the second metals and metal alloys with the one or more of the first metal and metal alloys, forming where each second metal foil had been a region of a hard intermetallic compound;
• wherein a composite laminate material having (i) layers of the one or more of the first metals and metal alloys, interspersed with (ii) regions of the hard intermetallic compound, is made.

A method of making a composite laminate material, comprising:

• interleaving (1) a plurality of first foils made from one or more of first metals and metal alloys, with (2) a plurality of second foils made from one or more of second metals and metal alloys suitable to react with the one or more of the first metal and metal alloys to produce a hard intermetallic compound;
• and
• reacting in situ under heat and pressure in the presence of atmospheric gases the plurality of first foils with the plurality of second foils so as to substantially completely react the one or more of the second metals and metal alloys with the one or more of the first metal and metal alloys to form where each second metal foil had been a region of a hard intermetallic compound,
• wherein the maximum temperature of the reacting is in the range from 600–800° C.

A method of making a composite laminate material, comprising:

• interleaving (1) a plurality of first foils made from one or more of first metals and metal alloys, with (2) a plurality of second foils made from one or more of second metals and metal alloys suitable to react with the one or more of the first metal and metal alloys to produce a hard intermetallic compound;
• and
• reacting in situ under heat and pressure in the presence of atmospheric gases the plurality of first foils with the plurality of second foils so as to substantially completely react the one or more of the second metals and metal alloys with the one or more of the first metal and metal alloys to form where each second metal foil had been a region of a hard intermetallic compound,
• wherein the one or more of the first metals and metal alloys have a plane strain fracture toughness, in the state of the first metals and metal alloys that is assumed upon completion of the method, of greater than 40 MPa(m)½, and the one or more of the second metals and metal alloys are suitable to compound with the first metal and metal alloys to produce the intermetallic compound having a Vickers microhardness of greater than 400 kg/mm2.

A method of making a composite laminate material, comprising:

• interleaving (1) a plurality of first foils made from one or more of first metals and metal alloys, with (2) a plurality of second foils made from one or more of second metals and metal alloys suitable to react with the one or more of the first metal and metal alloys to produce a hard intermetallic compound;
• and
• reacting in situ under heat and pressure in the presence of atmospheric gases the plurality of first foils with the plurality of second foils so as to substantially completely react the one or more of the second metals and metal alloys with the one or more of the first metal and metal alloys to form where each second metal foil had been a region of a hard intermetallic compound,
• wherein the composite laminate material has a density less than 6 grams per cubic centimeter.