Method of preparing fiber reinforced metals

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PREPARING A COMPOSITE CONSISTING OF A METAL MATRIX CONTAINING BETWEEN 1.5% AND 20% BY WEIGHT, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE METAL MATRIX, OF SAPPHIRE ALPHA ALUMINA FIBERS HAVING LENGTHS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.0625 AND 0.5 INCH AND DIAMETERS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5 AND 7 MICRONS, AND, AS MATERIAL PROMOTING A BOND BETWEEN SAID FIBERS AND SAID METAL MATRIX AT LEAST ONE ALKALINE EARTH COMPOUND; THERE BEING PRESENT AN AMOUNT OF ALKALINE EARTH METAL CORRESPONDING TO FROM 3.5 TO 6.5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF CALCIUM, ON A WEIGHT BASIS, PER 100 PARTS OF SAID ALUMINA FIBER ON A WEIGHT BASIS AND THERE BEING PRESENT AT THE SURFACES OF SAID METAL EXPOSED TO SAID ALUMINA AN AMOUNT OF CHROMIUM CORRESPONDING TO BETWEEN 0.1 AND 1% BY WEIGHT OF THE FIBERS WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING A MIXTURE CONTAINING (1) COMMINUTED METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COPPER, IRON, NICKEL AND COBALT AND ALLOYS OF SAID METALS WITH AT LEAST ONE OTHER METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CHROMIUM, ALUMINUM, MANGANESE, COPPER, IRON, AND NICKEL, (2) SAID FIBERS OF ALPHA ALUMINA, AND A WATER SOLUTION OF A SALT OF AN ALKALINE EARTH METAL; DRYING THE MIXTURE BY HEATING SAME; SHAPING THE DRIED PRODUCT; CONSOLIDATING THE DRIED PRODUCT BY HEATING TO A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO SINTER SAME AND THEREAFTER COLD WORKING THE CONSOLIDATED PRODUCT TO FINISH SIZE AND SHAPE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF PREPARING A COMPOSITE CONSISTING OF A METAL MATRIX CONTAINING BETWEEN 1.5% AND 20% BY WEIGHT, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE METAL MATRIX, OF SAPPHIRE ALPHA ALUMINA FIBERS HAVING LENGTHS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.0625 AND 0.5 INCH AND DIAMETERS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5 AND 7 MICRONS, AND, AS MATERIAL PROMOTING A BOND BETWEEN SAID FIBERS AND SAID METAL MATRIX AT LEAST ONE ALKALINE EARTH COMPOUND; THERE BEING PRESENT AN AMOUNT OF ALKALINE EARTH METAL CORRESPONDING TO FROM 3.5 TO 6.5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF CALCIUM, ON A WEIGHT BASIS, PER 100 PARTS OF SAID ALUMINA FIBER ON A WEIGHT BASIS AND THERE BEING PRESENT AT THE SURFACES OF SAID METAL EXPOSED TO SAID ALUMINA AN AMOUNT OF CHROMIUM CORRESPONDING TO BETWEEN 0.1 AND 1% BY WEIGHT OF THE FIBERS WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING A MIXTURE CONTAINING (1) COMMINUTED METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF COPPER, IRON, NICKEL AND COBALT AND ALLOYS OF SAID METALS WITH AT LEAST ONE OTHER METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CHROMIUM, ALUMINUM, MANGANESE, COPPER, IRON, AND NICKEL, (2) SAID FIBERS OF ALPHA ALUMINA, AND A WATER SOLUTION OF A SALT OF AN ALKALINE EARTH METAL; DRYING THE MIXTURE BY HEATING SAME; SHAPING THE DRIED PRODUCT; CONSOLIDATING THE DRIED PRODUCT BY HEATING TO A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO SINTER SAME AND THEREAFTER COLD WORKING THE CONSOLIDATED PRODUCT TO FINISH SIZE AND SHAPE.

Claim 3

THE METHOD OF PREPARING A COMPOSITE CONSISTING OF A METAL MATRIX CONSISTING OF METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METALS AND ALLOYS WHICH ALLOY READILY WITH CHROMIMUM AND WHICH MELT AT TEMPERATURES BELOW 3000* F., SAID METAL MATRIX CONTAINING BETWEEN 1.5% AND 20% BY WEIGHT, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE METAL MATRIX, OF SAPPHIRE ALPHA ALUMINA FIBERS HAVING LENGTHS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.0625 AND 0.5 INCH AND DIAMETERS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5 AND 7 MICRONS, AND, AS MATERIAL PROMOTING A BOND BETWEEN SAID FIBERS AND SAID METAL MATRIX AT LEAST ONE ALKALINE EARTH COMPOUND; THERE BEING PRESENT AN AMOUNT OF ALKALINE EARTH METAL CORRESPONDING TO FROM 3.5 TO 6.5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF CALCIUM, ON A WEIGHT BASIS, PER 100 PARTS OF SAID ALUMINA FIBER ON A WEIGHT BASIS AND THERE BEING PRESENT AT THE SURFACES OF SAID METAL EXPOSED TO SAID ALUMINA AN AMOUNT OF CHROMIUM CORRESPONDING TO BETWEEN 0.1 AND 1% BY WEIGHT OF THE FIBERS WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING A MIXTURE CONTAINING METAL POWDER, SAPPHIRE FIBERS, AND A WATER SOLUTION OF AN ALKALINE EARTH METAL SALT: DRYING THE MIXTURE AT ABUT 325*C. TO FORM A DRIED CAKE; BREAKING DOWN THE DRIED CAKE INTO A MORTAR; POURING THE DISTINTEGRATED CAKE INTO A QUARTZ TUBE; INSERTING TUBE IN AN INSULATING REFRACTORY SLEEVE; HEATING SAME RAPIDLY TO FUSION TEMPERATURE OF THE MIXTURE; MAINTAINING THE SLEEVE AND ITS CONTENTS AT THE FUSION TEMPERATURES OF THE MIXTURE FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES; REMOVING THE MIXTURE FROM THE SLEEVE AFTER IT HAS BEEN COOLED TO A SOLID; AND WORKING SAID SOLID TO FINAL SIZE AND SHAPE.

Claim 4

THE METHOD OF PREPARING A COMPOSITE CONSISTING OF A METAL MATRIX CONSISTING OF METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METALS AND ALLOYS WHICH ALLOY READILY WITH CHROMIMUM AND WHICH MELT AT TEMPERATURES BELOW 3000* F., SAID METAL MATRIX CONTAINING BETWEEN 1.5% AND 20% BY WEIGHT, BASED ON THE WEIGHT OF THE METAL MATRIX, OF SAPPHIRE ALPHA ALUMINA FIBERS HAVING LENGTHS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.0625 AND 0.5 INCH AND DIAMETERS BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5 AND 7 MICRONS, AND, AS MATERIAL PROMOTING A BOND BETWEEN SAID FIBERS AND SAID METAL MATRIX AT LEAST ONE ALKALINE EARTH COMPOUND; THERE BEING PRESENT AN AMOUNT OF ALKALINE EARTH METAL CORRESPONDING TO FROM 3.5 TO 6.5 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF CALCIUM, ON A WEIGHT BASIS, PER 100 PARTS OF SAID ALUMINA FIBER ON A WEIGHT BASIS AND THERE BEING PRESENT AT THE SURFACES OF SAID METAL EXPOSED TO SAID ALUMINA AN AMOUNT OF CHROMIUM CORRESPONDING TO BETWEEN 0.1 AND 1% BY WEIGHT OF THE FIBERS WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING A MIXTURE CONTAINING METAL POWDER, SAPPHIRE FIBERS, AND A WATER SOLUTION OF AN ALKALINE EARTH METAL SALT: DRYING THE MIXTURE AT ABUT 325*C. TO FORM A DRIED CAKE; BREAKING DOWN THE DRIED CAKE INTO A MORTAR; POURING THE DISTINTEGRATED CAKE INTO A QUARTZ TUBE; INSERTING TUBE IN AN INSULATING REFRACTORY SLEEVE; HEATING SAME RAPIDLY TO FUSION TEMPERATURE OF THE MIXTURE; MAINTAINING THE SLEEVE AND ITS CONTENTS AT THE FUSION TEMPERATURES OF THE MIXTURE FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES; REMOVING THE MIXTURE FROM THE SLEEVE AFTER IT HAS BEEN COOLED TO A SOLID; AND WORKING SAID SOLID TO FINAL SIZE AND SHAPE.