CERAMIC ALUMINUM CO-CONTINUOUS COMPOSITE SYNTHESIZED BY REACTION ACCELERATED MELT INFILTRATION/

A process to synthesize ceramic composites toughened by a three-dimens ional interconnected network of ductile metal was investigated. It was found that when a porous ceramic preform, produced by general methods , is dipped into molten aluminum alloy at a temperature much higher th an the alloy melting point, the molten aluminum alloy wets the surface of the preform and further infiltrates into the open interconnected p orosity of the preform under the action of capillary. a ceramic/alumin um co-continuous composite can then be produced when the preform is co oled to room temperature. The chemical reaction between the ceramic pr eform surfaces and the molten aluminum alloy can accelerate infiltrati on. By this process, a kind of co-continuous ceramic composite, toughe ned by interconnected aluminum, was synthesized. An examination was ca rried out on the microstructure of the composite, the effects of alloy ing additions and the agents added into the ceramic preform, and the e ffect of temperature on the infiltration. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S. A.