An apparatus for pressure casting of fibre-reinforced high-temperature metal-matrix composites

Abstract
Liquid metal infiltration techniques for producing metal-matrix composites offer economic advantages. To date metal-matrix composites produced by casting have been limited to low-temperature metals such as Al, Mg and Pb because of the serious problems inherent in high-temperature casting. A technique and apparatus is described which has permitted the production of fibre-reinforced NiAl/Al2O3 and Ni3Al/Al2O3 composites. The technique involves liquid metal infiltration of Al2O3 fibres under gas pressure.
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