Metal-Matrix Composites

METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITES (MMCs) are a class of materials with potential for a wide variety of structural and thermal management applications. Metalmatrix composites are capable of providing higher-temperature operating limits than their base metal counterparts, and they can be tailored to give improved strength, stiffness, thermal conductivity, abrasion resistance, creep resistance, or dimensional stability. Unlike resin-matrix composites, they are nonflammable, do not outgas in a vacuum, and suffer minimal attack by organic fluids such as fuels and solvents. The principle of incorporating a highperformance second phase into a conventional engineering material to produce a combination with features not obtainable from the individual constituents is well known. In a MMC, the continuous, or matrix, phase is a monolithic alloy, and the reinforcement consists of high-performance carbon, metallic, or ceramic additions. Reinforced intermetallic compounds such as the aluminides of titanium, nickel, and iron are also discussed in this article (for more information on intermetallic compounds, see the article "Ordered Intermetallics" in this Volume). Reinforcements, characterized as either continuous or discontinuous, may constitute from 10 to 60 vol% of the composite. Continuous fiber or filament reinforcements include graphite (Gr), silicon carbide (SIC), boron, aluminum oxide (A1203), and refractory metals. Discontinuous reinforcements consist mainly of SiC in whisker (w) form, particulate (p) types of SiC, A1203, or titanium diboride (TiB2), and short or chopped fibers of A1203 or graphite. Figure 1 shows cross sections of typical continuous and discontinuous reinforcement MMCs. The salient characteristics of metals as matrices are manifested in a variety of ways; in particular, a metal matrix imparts a metallic nature to the composite in terms of thermal and electrical conductivity, manufacturing operations, and interaction with the environment. Matrix-dominated mechanical properties, such as the transverse elastic modulus and strength of unidirectionally reinforced composites, are sufficiently high in some MMCs to permit use of the unidirectional lay-up in engineering structures. This article will give an overview of the current status of MMCs, including information on physical and mechanical properties, processing methods, distinctive features, and the various types of continuously and discontinuously reinforced MMCs. More information on the processing and properties of MMCs is available in the Section "Metal, Carbon/Graphite, and Ceramic Matrix Composites" in Composites, Volume 1 of the Engineered Materials Handbook published by ASM INTERNATIONAL.

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