Ferroelastic ceramic-reinforced metal matrix composites

• US 20070138917A1
• Filed: 10/23/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
• Inventors: Schultz, Jeffrey, Poquette, Ben, Kampe, Stephen, Asare, Ted
• Granted Patent: US 7,586,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/358
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 32/00 Non-ferrous alloys containing at least 5% by weight but less than 50% by weight of oxides, carbides, borides, nitrides, silicides or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides, sulfides, whether added as such or formed in situ
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/165 Particles in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/852 Composite materials, e.g. having 1-3 or 2-2 type connectivity

Abstract

Composite materials comprising ferroelastic ceramic particulates dispersed in a metal matrix are capable of vibration damping. When the ferroelastic ceramic particulates are subjected to stress, such as the cyclic stress experienced during vibration of the material, internal stresses in the ceramic cause the material to deform via twinning, domain rotation or domain motion thereby dissipating the vibrational energy. The ferroelastic ceramic particulates may also act as reinforcements to improve the mechanical properties of the composites. The composite materials may be used in various structural components in vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft, buildings and tools.

Claims

1. A method of damping vibrations in a structural component comprising forming at least a part of the structural component from a composite material comprising a metal matrix and ferroelastic ceramic particulates in the metal matrix.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates comprise at least one oxide of a metal comprising Ba, Sr, Ca, Pb, Ti, Zr and/or Nb.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates comprise BaTiO₃, ZnO, PbTiO₃, Pb(Ti,Zr)O₃, Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃, (Ba,Sr)TiO₃ and/or Pb(La,Ti,Zr)O₃.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates comprise BaTiO₃.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates comprise from about 5 to about 65 volume percent of the composite.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates comprise from about 20 to about 50 volume percent of the composite.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates are substantially equiaxed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates are substantially elongated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates are substantially disc shaped.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates have an average particle size of from about 0.5 micron to about 2 mm.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates have an average particle size of from about 0.5 to about 100 microns.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal matrix comprises Cu, Al, Fe, Pb, Mg, Ni, Ti, Co, Mo, Ta, Nb, W, Ni and/or Sn.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal matrix comprises Cu, Sn, Ti, Al, Fe, Ni and/or Co.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal matrix comprises from about 35 to about 95 volume percent of the composite.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal matrix comprises from about 50 to about 80 volume percent of the composite.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite material has a yield strength of at least 10 MPa.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite material has a fracture toughness of at least 5 MPa√

m.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite material has a vibration damping loss coefficient of greater than 1×

10<sup>−

4</sup>.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates undergo twinning under cyclic loading.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the twinning is reversible.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the twinning comprises 90 degree twinning of crystallographic lattice planes of the ferroelastic ceramic particulates.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the ferroelastic ceramic particulates are randomly oriented within the metal matrix.

23. A vibration damping structural component comprising a composite material including a metal matrix and ferroelastic ceramic particulates dispersed in the metal matrix.

24. A method of making a vibration damping composite material by dispersing ferroelastic ceramic particulates in a metal matrix to thereby produce the vibration damping composite material.