Patent ID: 8580185
Filing Date: 2013-11-12
Classification: C04B

Abstract:
1. A method for preparing an aluminum-boron carbide composite, the method consisting of: a) forming a mixture of at least two boron carbide particulates into a porous body that has a porosity of at most 35% , wherein the at least two boron carbide particulates have different average particle sizes, wherein the average size of the larger particles is at least twice as large as the average size of the smaller particles; and wherein prior to step (b) the boron carbide particulates are heated to a temperature of 1200° C. to 1800° C. in a vacuum or inert atmosphere for one minute to 50 hours, b) infiltrating the porous body with aluminum or aluminum alloy until an infiltrated aluminum-boron carbide body is formed that has at most 1% porosity, c) heat treating the infiltrated body for at least 25 hours at an AlB d) subsequent to step (c) heat-treating at an aluminum depleting temperature of 700° C. to 900° C. for a time to form the aluminum boron carbide composite having an aluminum concentration of less than 2% by volume of said composite.