Method of producing reinforced materials

Claim 1

A method of making a reinforced metallic material, the method comprising the steps of producing a porous silicon body by mixing a desired proportion of particulate or short fibre silicon with a desired proportion of a fugitive filler material, a liquid fugitive first binder material and a second binder material, filling a mould with the mixture, heating the mixture for a period of time at less that 100° C. to dry the mixture, heating the dried mixture to burn off said fugitive filler material to produce voids and to form bonds between said particles or short fibres of silicon with said second binder material and thus form a porous silicon body, converting said porous silicon body to either a silicon nitride or a silicon carbide porous ceramic body by heating under an appropriate gas atmosphere, and infiltrating said porous ceramic body with a molten metal.

Claim 2

A method of making a reinforced metallic material, the method comprising the steps of producing a porous silicon body by mixing a desired proportion of particulate or short fibre silicon with a desired proportion of a fugitive filler material, a liquid fugitive first binder material and a second binder material, filling a mould with the mixture, heating the mixture for a period of time at less that 100° C. to dry the mixture, heating the dried mixture to burn off said fugitive filler material to produce voids and to form bonds between said particles or short fibres of silicon with said second binder material and thus form a porous silicon body, converting said porous silicon body to either a silicon nitride or a silicon carbide porous ceramic body by heating under an appropriate gas atmosphere, and infiltrating said porous ceramic body with a molten metal.

Claim 7

A method according to calim 1 wherein the molten metal is an aluminium alloy.

Claim 8

A method according to calim 1 wherein the molten metal is an aluminium alloy.

Claim 12

A method of making a reinforced metallic material, comprising the steps of producing a porous silicon body by forming a mixture consisting essentially of a desired proportion of particulate or short fibre silicon with a desired proportion of a fugitive filler material, a liquid fugitive first binder material and a second binder material, filling a mould with the mixture, heating the mixture for a period of time at less than 100° C. to dry the mixture, heating the dried mixture to burn off said fugitive filler material to produce voids and to form bonds between said particles or short fibres of silicon with said second binder material and thus form a porous silicon body, converting said porous silicon body to either a silicon nitride or a silicon carbide porous ceramic body by heating under an appropriate gas atmosphere, and infiltrating said porous ceramic body with a molten metal.

Claim 13

A method of making a reinforced metallic material, comprising the steps of producing a porous silicon body by forming a mixture consisting essentially of a desired proportion of particulate or short fibre silicon with a desired proportion of a fugitive filler material, a liquid fugitive first binder material and a second binder material, filling a mould with the mixture, heating the mixture for a period of time at less than 100° C. to dry the mixture, heating the dried mixture to burn off said fugitive filler material to produce voids and to form bonds between said particles or short fibres of silicon with said second binder material and thus form a porous silicon body, converting said porous silicon body to either a silicon nitride or a silicon carbide porous ceramic body by heating under an appropriate gas atmosphere, and infiltrating said porous ceramic body with a molten metal.