Method of producing compacts by reacting particulate ingredients

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR LOCATING BODIES IN COMPOSITE ARTICLES ESSENTIALLY BY MEANS OF A COMTINUOUS PHASE OF INTERMETALLIC TYPE COMPOUND WHICH IS FORMED IN SITU COMPRISING: PLACING POWDERED MATERIALS CAPABLE OF REACTING TO FORM AT LEAST ONE INTERMETALLIC TYPE COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF BERYLIDES, TITANIDES, ZIRCONIDES, BORIDES, ALUMINIDES, SILCIDES, GERMANIDES, STANNIDES, AND ANTIMONIDES IN CONTACT WITH THE BODIES TO BE LOCATED, HEATING SAID MATERIALS UNDER A PRESSURE IN EXCESS OF ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE TO A TEMPERATURE AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO INITIATE AND SUSTAIN BETWEEN SAID POWDERED MATERIALS A REACTION BY WHICH SAID INTERMETALLIC TYPE COMPOUND IS FORMED, WHEREIN SAID POWDERED MATERIALS ARE SELECTED SO THAT DURING THE COURSE OF SAID REACTION THE REACTION MIXTURE AND NASCENT COMPOUND EXHIBIT TRANSIENT PLASTICITY AND UNDERGO A MARKED CONTRACTION IN SOLID VOLUME WHILE POSITIVELY MAINTAINING PRESSURE ON THE REACTION MIXTURE THROUGHOUT THE REACTION, WHEREBY A CONTINUOUS PHASE OF SAID INTERMETALLIC TYPE COMPOUND IS FORMED WHICH LOCATES THE BODIES.