Providing reinforced alkaline earth aluminosilicate glasses

Claim 1

A method for making a glass matrix reinforced with SiC whisker and continuous, non-chopped, ceramic fiber, the reinforced glass matrix being a hybrid composite body consisting essentially of about 5-60% by weight deagglomerated SiC whiskers having a thickness less than 100 microns with a length-to-diameter ratio of at least 10 and about 15-70% by volume continuous, unchopped, ceramic fibers substantially uniformly distributed in a glass matrix, the total content of whiskers and fibers not exceeding about 70% by weight comprising the steps of: (a) melting a batch for an alkali free, alkaline earth aluminosilicate glass; (b) cooling the melt to form a glass body; (c) comminuting said glass body to a fine glass powder; (d) coating said SiC whiskers and said continuous, non-chopped, ceramic fibers with said glass powder; (e) forming a mixture of said glass-powder-coated SiC whiskers and glass-powder-coated continuous, non-chopped, ceramic fibers into a shaped composite of a desired configuration; (f) consolidating said shaped composite into an integral body by heating the shaped composite to a temperature at which the glass of said glass powder exhibits a viscosity between 10 2 -10 13 poises, and then (g) cooling said integral body to thereby form said reinforced glass matrix composite body.

Claim 2

A method for making a glass matrix reinforced with SiC whisker and continuous, non-chopped, ceramic fiber, the reinforced glass matrix being a hybrid composite body consisting essentially of about 5-60% by weight deagglomerated SiC whiskers having a thickness less than 100 microns with a length-to-diameter ratio of at least 10 and about 15-70% by volume continuous, unchopped, ceramic fibers substantially uniformly distributed in a glass matrix, the total content of whiskers and fibers not exceeding about 70% by weight comprising the steps of: (a) melting a batch for an alkali free, alkaline earth aluminosilicate glass; (b) cooling the melt to form a glass body; (c) comminuting said glass body to a fine glass powder; (d) coating said SiC whiskers and said continuous, non-chopped, ceramic fibers with said glass powder; (e) forming a mixture of said glass-powder-coated SiC whiskers and glass-powder-coated continuous, non-chopped, ceramic fibers into a shaped composite of a desired configuration; (f) consolidating said shaped composite into an integral body by heating the shaped composite to a temperature at which the glass of said glass powder exhibits a viscosity between 10 2 -10 13 poises, and then (g) cooling said integral body to thereby form said reinforced glass matrix composite body.