Patent ID: 6852275

Claim:
A process for producing an intermetallic compound-based composite material comprising a reinforcing material and an intermetallic compound, comprising the steps of: mixing a metal powder with a reinforcing material to obtain a mixed powder, filling the mixed powder into a vessel, placing Al on an upper side of the mixed powder filled into the vessel, heating the Al and the mixed powder under reduced pressure to a temperature that is several tens of ° C. higher than the melting point Al, and impregnating the mixed powder with an Al melt, wherein a spontaneous combustion reaction between the metal powder and the Al melt to convert the Al melt into an aluminide intermetallic compound, and the Al melt and the metal powder are used respectively in such amounts that a mass ratio of a remaining Al after the spontaneous reaction to the intermetallic compound-based composite material is within a range from 0:10 to 3:7, and wherein reinforcing material particles are dispersed within the intermetallic compound-based composite material.