Metal-ceramic composites and method of making

• US 4,770,701 A
• Filed: 04/30/1986
• Issued: 09/13/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Standard Oil Company (BP PLC)
• Original Assignee: Standard Oil Company (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Henderson, Richard S., Tenhover, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jorgensen, Eric
• Application Number:
  US06/857,882
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 75/232, 75/233, 75/235, 75/236, 75/238, 75/239, 75/240, 75/241, 75/242, 75/246, 419/12, 419/13, 419/15, 419/16, 419/17, 419/18, 419/19, 419/45, 419/14
• US Class Current: 75/232
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/007 by diffusion starting from non-amorphous articles prepared by powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 19/00 Alloys based on nickel or cobalt
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 29/00 Alloys based on carbides, oxides, nitrides, borides, or silicides, e.g. cermets, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides, sulfides C22C26/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 33/02 by powder metallurgy working metallic powder B22F
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 9/00 Alloys based on copper

Abstract

Amorphous metal-ceramic and microcrystalline metal-ceramic composites are synthesized by solid state reaction-formation methods. These metal-ceramic composites are characterized by a composition that ranges from about 75 to about 99.9 percent ceramic in about 0.1 to about 25 percent amorphous or microcrystalline metal binder phase.

Claims

1. An amorphous metal-ceramic composite comprising about 75% to about 99.9% ceramic particles disposed in an amorphous metal matrix, said matrix formed by the solid state diffusion of a metal into the surface region of said ceramic particles to form said amorphous metal matrix.

2. The composite as in claim 1 wherein said ceramic particles comprise carbides, nitrides, oxides, and borides of Si, Al, Mo, Cr, W, Ti, V, Zr, HF, and combinations thereof.

3. The amorphous metal-ceramic composite as in claim 1 wherein said metal comproses Fe, Ni, Co, Cu and combinations thereof, which diffuse into said ceramic particles.

4. A process for the synthesis of an amorphous metal-ceramic composite, comprising intimately mixing alloying elements in the presence of ceramic particles and heat-treating this mixture to initiate a solid-state reaction-formation, said reaction-formation yielding a dual-phase microstructure composed of from about 75% to about 99.9% ceramic particles interspersed in an amorphous solid matrix binder.

5. The process as in claim 4 wherein said solid state reaction is a solid state incorporation/reduction reaction.

6. The process as in claim 4 wherein said mixture is heat-treated at a temperature between about 0.5 to about 0.8 of the glass transition temperature of the amorphous metal component of said amorphous metal-ceramic composite.