Abstract:
This invention relates generally to a novel method of manufacturing a composite body and to novel products made thereby. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of producing a self-supporting composite body comprising one or more boron-containing compounds, e.g., a boride or a boride and carbide, by reactive infiltration of molten parent metal into a bed or mass containing boron carbide, and, optionally, one or more inert fillers and permitting residual or excess parent metal to remain bonded to the formed self-supporting composite body. The residual or excess metal is used to form a bond between the formed composite body and another body (e.g., a metal body, a ceramic body, or another composite body). In addition, this invention related to alternative methods of disposing metal on at least one surface of the above-described composite bodies (such as sputtering, CVD, etc.) to permit the composite bodies to be bonded to another body.
Abstract:
This invention relates to a method for producing a self-supporting body comprising the steps of:(a) forming a permeable mass comprising at least one solid-phase oxidant selected from the group consisting of the halogens, sulphur and its compounds, metals, metal oxides other than the silicates, and metal nitrides other than those of boron and silicon;(b) orienting said permeable mass and a source of said parent metal relative to each other so that formation of said oxidation reaction product will occur into said permeable mass;(c) heating said source of parent metal to a temperature above the melting point of said parent metal but below the melting point of said oxidation reaction product to form a body of molten parent metal;(d) reacting said body of molten parent metal with said at least one solid-phase oxidant at said temperature to permit said oxidant at said temperature to permit said oxidation reaction product to form; and(e) maintaining at least a portion of said at least one oxidation reaction product in contact with and between said molten parent metal and said solid-phase oxidant at said temperature to progressively draw molten parent metal through said oxidation reaction product towards said solid-phase oxidant to permit fresh oxidation reaction product to continue to form at an interface between said solid-phase oxidant and previously formed oxidation reaction product that has infiltrated said permeable mass.
Abstract:
This invention relates generally to a novel directed metal oxidation process which is utilized to produce self-supporting bodies. In some of the more specific aspects of the invention, a parent metal (e.g., a parent metal vapor) is induced to react with at least one solid oxidant-containing material to result in the directed growth of a reaction product which is formed from a reaction between the parent metal and the solid oxidant-containing material. The inventive process can be utilized to form bodies having substantially homogeneous compositions, graded compositions, and macrocomposite bodies.
Abstract:
This invention relates generally to a novel method for joining at least one first self-supporting body to at least one second self-supporting body which is similar in composition to or different in composition from said at least one first self-supporting body and to novel products which result from such joining. In some of its more specific aspects, this invention relates to different techniques for joining ceramic matrix composite bodies to other ceramic matrix composite bodies of similar characteristics and for joining ceramic matrix composite bodies to bodies which have different characteristics (e.g., metals). The ceramic matrix composite bodies of this invention are produced by a reactive infiltration of a molten parent metal into a bed or mass containing at least one of a boron source material, a carbon source material, and a nitrogen source material and, optionally, one or more inert fillers.
Abstract:
This invention relates generally to a novel directed metal oxidation process which is utilized to produce self-supporting bodies. In some of the more specific aspects of the invention, a parent metal (e.g., a parent metal vapor) is induced to react with at least one solid oxidant-containing material to result in the directed growth of a reaction product which is formed from a reaction between the parent metal and the solid oxidant-containing material. The inventive process can be utilized to form bodies having substantially homogeneous compositions, graded compositions, and macrocomposite bodies.
Abstract:
This invention relates generally to a reaction which occurs on the surface of a substrate body. Particularly, at least one solid oxidant is contacted with at least one parent metal to result in a reaction therebetween and the formation of a reaction product on the surface of a substrate body.
Abstract:
This invention relates generally to a novel directed metal oxidation process which is utilized to produce self-supporting bodies. In some of the more specific aspects of the invention, a parent metal vapor is induced to react with a solid oxidant to result in the directed growth of a reaction product which is formed from a reaction between the parent metal vapor and the solid oxidant. The inventive process can be utilized to form bodies having substantially homogeneous compositions, graded compositions, and macrocomposite bodies.
Abstract:
This invention relates generally to a novel method for joining at least one first self-supporting body, to at least one second self-supporting body which is similar in composition to or different in composition from said at least one first self-supporting body and to novel products which result from such joining. In some of its more specific aspects, this invention relates to different techniques for joining ceramic matrix composite bodies to other ceramic matrix composite bodies of similar characteristics and for joining ceramic matrix composite bodies to bodies which have different characteristics (e.g., metals). The ceramic matrix composite bodies of this invention are produced by a reactive infiltration of a molten parent metal into a bed or mass containing a boron source material and a carbon source material (e.g., boron carbide) and/or a boron source material and a nitrogen source material (e.g., boron nitride) and, optionally, one or more inert fillers.
Abstract:
Self-supporting bodies are produced by reactive infiltration of a parent metal into a boron nitride material typically resulting in a body comprising a boron-containing compound, a nitrogen-containing compound and metal. The mass to be infiltrated may contain one or more inert fillers admixed with the boron nitride, to produce a composite by reactive infiltration, which composite comprises a matrix which embeds the filler material. The matrix, in a composite body containing filler material, comprises one or more of metal, a boron-containing compound and a nitrogen-containing compound. The relative amounts of reactants and process conditions may be altered or controlled to yield a body containing varying volume percents of ceramic, metal and/or porosity. The mass to be infiltrated can be contained within a refractory vessel having a venting means included therein.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a novel method of manufacturing a composite body, such as a ZrB.sub.2 -ZrC-Zr composite body, by utilizing a post-treatment technique which may improve the oxidation resistance of the composite body. Moreover, the invention relates to novel products made according to the process. The novel process modifies at least a portion of a composite body by exposing said body to a source of second metal.