4

PROCESSING
Figure 1.1. Schematic representations. (a) Spontaneous infiltration and (b) pressuredriven infiltration.

processes are not new; liquid-metal infiltration has been used for many years in powder metallurgy to strengthen porous metal parts of iron and steel with copper (Lenel 1980). The major difference between infiltration of solid metal by liquid metal and infiltration of ceramic by liquid metal regards wetting. In the latter case, liquid metal generally does not spontaneously wet the reinforcement. Therefore, it is often forced into the preform by application of an external force that overcomes the capillary and fluid-drag forces. The main parameters in infiltration processes are the initial composition, morphology, volume fraction and temperature of the reinforcement, the initial composition and temperature of the infiltrating metal, and the nature and magnitude of the external force applied to the metal, if any. In the discussion that follows, we classify the several infiltration processes according to this last parameter.

1.1.1.1 No External Force

In specific cases, the metal may spontaneously infiltrate the reinforcement. Cermets such as titanium-carbidereinforced steel or nickel-base alloys have been produced by spontaneous infiltration (Lenel 1980). Systems in which specifically tailored chemistry or processing conditions are used to induce wetting also allow spontaneous infiltration. Practical examples include the Ti-B process, in which Ti and B are deposited by chemical vapor deposition on fibers prior to infiltration by aluminum (Harrigan and Flowers 1976; Harrigan and Flowers 1977; Harrigan et al. 1980; Kendall and Pepper 1978; Lachman et a]. 1975; Meyerer et al. 1977). Another example is the PRIMEX pressureless metal infiltration process, developed by Lanxide Corporation, Newark, Delaware (Kennedy 1991), whereby AI-Mg alloys infiltrate ceramic preforms at temperatures