Patent ID: 7237594

Claim:
An injection-molding process for molding a metal alloy and a reinforcement component into a near net shape metal-matrix composite article including the following steps: feeding the alloy and the reinforcement component into to an injection-molding apparatus having a heated barrel assembly; transporting the alloy and the reinforcement component through a melt passageway in the barrel assembly with a screw feeder disposed therein and heating the alloy and the reinforcement component to a near-liquidus temperature of the alloy; accumulating a volume of the alloy and the reinforcement component in an accumulation portion of the barrel assembly; controlling the near-liquidus alloy temperature in the accumulation portion to maintain the alloy in a molten state having a maximum solids content of 3%; and injecting the alloy and the reinforcement component to fill a mold and cast at the near-liquidus temperature into the near net shape metal-matrix composite article having a fine equi-axed structure substantially without coarse directional dendrites.