Silicon-containing composite bodies, and methods for making same

• US 7,658,781 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Marlene Rossing
• Inventors: Rossing, Barry R, Waggoner, W. Michael, McCormick, Allyn L, Richmond, Michael A, Aghajanian, Michael K
• Primary Examiner(s): King; Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAI, NGOCLAN THI
• Application Number:
  US11/185,075
• Time in Patent Office: 1,666 Days
• Field of Search: 752/36, 752/38, 752/32, 264/635, 428/294, 428/4, 428/446, 428/449, 428/698, 428/539.5
• US Class Current: 75/236
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/11 Making porous workpieces or articles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/26 Impregnating making ferrous alloys by impregnation C22C33/0242
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00827 Photocatalysts; materials containing photocatalysts to avoid staining by air pollutants C04B2111/2061
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3826 Silicon carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/40 Metallic constituents or additives not added as binding phase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/402 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/404 Refractory metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/405 Iron group metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/407 Copper
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/408 Noble metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/428 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5436 micrometer sized, i.e. from 1 to 100 micron
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5472 Bimodal, multi-modal or multi-fraction
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/604 Pressing at temperatures other than sintering temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/728 Silicon content
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/77 Density
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/80 Phases present in the sintered or melt-cast ceramic products other than the main phase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/96 Properties of ceramic products, e.g. mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, wear resistance
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/9607 Thermal properties, e.g. thermal expansion coefficient
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 33/00 : Clay-wares monolithic refractories or refractory mortars C04B35/66; porous products C04B38/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/10 : based on aluminium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/46 : based on titanium oxides or titanates containing also zirconium or hafnium oxides, zirconates or hafnates C04B35/49
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/565 : based on silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/573 : obtained by reaction sintering or recrystallisation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/62655 : Drying, e.g. freeze-drying, spray-drying, microwave or supercritical drying
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/009 : characterised by the material treated
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/4539 : as a emulsion, dispersion or suspension
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/4584 : Coating or impregnating of particulate or fibrous ceramic material C04B20/10, C04B35/628 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5022 : with vitreous materials composition of vitreous glazes and enamels C03C; ceramic pigments C09C1/0009
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5031 : Alumina
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5041 : Titanium oxide or titanates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5089 : Silica sols, alkyl, ammonium or alkali metal silicate cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/85 : with inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/86 : Glazes; Cold glazes
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/1005 : Pretreatment of the non-metallic additives pretreatment of non-metallic fibres C22C47/02
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/1036 : starting from a melt
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/1057 : Reactive infiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 29/065 : based on SiC
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 47/04 : by coating, e.g. with a protective or activated covering

Abstract

Composite bodies made by a silicon metal infiltration process that feature a metal phase in addition to any residual silicon phase. Not only does this give the composite material engineer greater flexibility in designing or tailoring the physical properties of the resulting composite material, but the infiltrant also can be engineered compositionally to have much diminished amounts of expansion upon solidification, thereby enhancing net-shape-making capabilities. These and other consequences of engineering the metal component of composite bodies made by silicon infiltration permit the fabrication of large structures of complex shape. Certain liquid-based preforming techniques are particularly well suited to the task, particularly where a high volumetric loading of the reinforcement component is desired.

Claims

1. A composite body, comprising:

a first component comprising infiltrant metal at least a portion of which is interconnected, said residual infiltrant metal comprising silicon metal in at least a plurality amount, and at least one other metallic constituent; and

a second component comprising at least one reinforcement material distributed throughout said first component, said composite body furthermore containing essentially no reactable carbon or reaction product of such reactable carbon with said infiltrant metal, wherein said infiltrant metal comprises by weight at least about 40 percent of said silicon.

2. A composite body, comprising:

(a) a first component comprising (i) silicon carbide and (ii) infiltrant metal at least a portion of which is interconnected, said infiltrant metal comprising silicon metal and at least one other metallic constituent; and

(b) a second component comprising at least 45 percent by volume of at least one reinforcement material distributed throughout said first component, said reinforcement material having a morphology other than fibrous, said reinforcement material comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbides, nitrides, borides and oxides.

3. The composite body of claim 2, wherein said silicon carbide is the “

beta”

type.

4. The composite body of claim 2, wherein said silicon carbide phase is produced in-situ and makes up no more than about 24 percent by volume of said composite body.