US5153057A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Shaped bodies containing short inorganic fibers or whiskers within a metal matrix
Assignee: Technical Ceramics Laboratories Inc
•
Filing: 1991-04-24
•
Granted: 1992-10-06
•
Expires: 2011-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A fiber-organic composition includes from about 5% to 50% by volume of uniformly dispersed, non-planar or three dimensionally random oriented inorganic fibers or whiskers, and a thermoplastic material such as paraffin wax. The composition also includes surfactants to promote wetting and dispersion of the inorganic fibers or whiskers. These materials are subjected to high shear mixing to form a uniform randomly oriented three-dimensional dispersion of the inorganic fibers or whiskers. After molding the mixture in such a manner so as not to disrupt the uniform, three-dimensional orientation of the fibers or whiskers, a majority of the thermoplastic material is removed leaving a shaped body or preform having sufficient strength for handling. The shaped body or preform can then be infiltrated with molten metal or the like to form a metal matrix composite.
Inventors
- 👤 William J. Corbett
- 👤 Marvin C. Lunde
- 👤 Peter T. B. Shaffer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 06:23
CPC Classifications
B; B22; B22F; B22F3/00; B22F3/22; B22F3/225; C; C04; C04B; C04B30/00; C04B30/02; C04B35/00; C04B35/622; C04B35/626; C04B35/63; C04B35/6303; C04B35/6316; C04B35/632; C04B35/71; C04B35/78; C04B35/80; C04B41/00; C04B41/53; C04B41/60; C04B41/72; C08; C08K; C08K7/00; C08K7/02; C22; C22C; C22C47/00; C22C47/02; C22C47/025; C22C47/06; C22C47/08; C22C49/00; C22C49/02; C22C49/04; C22C49/06; B22F2998/00; C04B2235/00; C04B2235/02; C04B2235/50; C04B2235/52; C04B2235/5208; C04B2235/5216; C04B2235/522; C04B2235/5224; C04B2235/5228; C04B2235/5232; C04B2235/524; C04B2235/5244; C04B2235/5248; C04B2235/526; C04B2235/5264; C04B2235/5276; C04B2235/5296; C04B2235/60; C04B2235/602; C04B2235/6022; C04B2235/70; C04B2235/95; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S428/00; Y10S428/902; Y10S428/903; Y10S428/922; Y10S428/9335; Y10S428/939; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/249921; Y10T428/249924; Y10T428/249927; Y10T428/29; Y10T428/2913; Y10T428/2918; Y10T428/30; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31678
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
75 words
A metal matrix composite comprising a mass of short inorganic fibers dispersed throughout the composite with a high degree of three-dimensional orientation, said inorganic fibers comprising at least 5% by volume of the composite and forming a shaped body or preform, and a metallic mass infiltrating and surrounding said fibers to thereby form the metal matrix composite and wherein the average angular deviation of said inorganic fibers within the composite is between 30° and 60°.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
75 words
A metal matrix composite comprising a mass of short inorganic fibers dispersed throughout the composite with a high degree of three-dimensional orientation, said inorganic fibers comprising at least 5% by volume of the composite and forming a shaped body or preform, and a metallic mass infiltrating and surrounding said fibers to thereby form the metal matrix composite and wherein the average angular deviation of said inorganic fibers within the composite is between 30° and 60°.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 1 wherein said fibers are selected from the group consisting of alumina, aluminum nitride, aluminum silicate, boron carbide, carbon, magnesium oxide, mullite, silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, titanium nitride, zirconium, dioxide, iron, titanium and tungsten fibers, and wherein the fibers amount to at least about 10% to about 40% by volume of the composite.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 2 in which said fibers are bonded together at their points of contact by a ceramic bond.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 1 in which said metallic mass infiltrates and surrounds said mass of fibers to thereby provide a substantially void free composite and in which said metal and said fibers amount to about 100% by volume of said composite.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 4 wherein said fibers amount to between about 10% to 40% by volume of the composite and in which the metal amounts to between about 60% to 90% by volume.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 5 wherein said fibers are silicon carbide whiskers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 6 wherein the silicon carbide whiskers are bonded together at their points of contact by oxidation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 5 wherein said inorganic fibers are silicon nitride and wherein said inorganic fibers are bonded together at their points of contact by oxidation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 1 wherein said metallic mass is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloys, magnesium and magnesium alloys, beryllium and beryllium alloys.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 9 in which said metallic mass is an aluminum alloy.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 1 which includes additional inorganic particles sufficient to raise the total volume fraction of inorganic particles and inorganic fibers to as much as about 0.80.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 11 wherein said inorganic fibers and said inorganic particles are bonded together at their points of contact by a ceramic bond.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
19 words
A metal matrix composite according to claim 11 wherein said ceramic whiskers and said inorganic particles are silicon carbide.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4388255A
Cited
US4720434A
Cited
US4985382A
Cited
US4944904A
Cited
US4801510A
Cited
US4820663A
Cited
US4919991A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-10-06 | 1996-04-06 | 1996-10-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-10-06 | 2000-04-06 | 2000-10-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-10-06 | 2004-04-06 | 2004-10-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |