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Fireline TCON Inc. has developed a technology for the creation ofalumina/aluminum interpenetrating phase composites via a reactive metal penetrationprocess. TCON composites are created by immersing silica based ceramic precursors intoa reactive molten aluminum or aluminum alloyed melt. The molten aluminum metalreacts with the precursor leaving a near net shape alumina ceramic backbone withaluminum filling in the pores in the composite. The resulting composites have uniquemechanical properties that are desired for many applications. The mechanical propertiesof TCON composites can be tuned for specific applications by varying the precursormaterial, metal composition, and temperature of reaction.Research has shown that the reactive metal penetration process does work withprecursors that are not silica based ceramics. Currently Fireline TCON Inc. only workswith silica based precursors that leave undesired aluminum-silicon alloys in the metalphase as the transformation takes place. The aluminum-silicon alloys are created from areduction of the silicon metal cations in the silica based ceramic. The incorporation oftitanium into the metal matrix is a more desired result for Fireline. Several titanium basedceramics were transformed using the TCON process to try and incorporate titanium intothe metal phase.In addition, specific type materials were transformed in the TCON process inattempt to manifest a nano-sized interpenetrating phase composite. Current technology atFireline TCON Inc leaves the resulting composites with particle sizes on the micronscale. A nano-scaled titanium-silicon oxide and a β-alumina-type compound, whichalready has nano-features, were transformed in the TCON process to investigate if anano-scaled composite would manifest. All of the samples that were transformed wereanalyzed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersivespectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. Fireline TCON Inc decided that one of the precursormaterials showed enough promising results that this sample was scaled-up to test bars tobe tested for mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of this composite arecompared to existing metal ceramic composites. |
