Patent ID: 8741212

Claim:
A method for making a composite material, comprising: providing a porous mass comprising at least one reinforcement material, wherein said porous mass contains no infiltration-facilitating carbon; providing an infiltrant material comprising silicon and at least one metal comprising titanium; heating said infiltrant material to a temperature above the liquidus temperature of said infiltrant material to form a molten infiltrant material; communicating said molten infiltrant material into contact with said porous mass; infiltrating said molten infiltrant material into said porous mass and reacting at least a portion of said titanium with at least a portion of said silicon to form a composite body comprising said at least one reinforcement material, and at least one titanium-silicon intermetallic compound distributed through said at least one reinforcement material, said titanium-silicon intermetallic compound being at least partially interconnected; and solidifying said molten infiltrant material.