Silicon carbide-whisker preforms for metal-matrix composites by infiltration processing

The development and production of SiC-whisker-reinforced metal-matrix composites (MMCs) has gained significant attention due to the usefulness of such materials in the automotive and aerospace industries. Ceramic materials in general possess a high elastic modulus, low relative weight, high hardness, and excellent high-temperature corrosion resistance. Because of these properties, ceramics can be combined with lightweight aluminum via squeeze casting to fabricate a low-cost MMC part. To fabricate reproducible and reliable MMC parts, consistent SiC-whisker preforms must first be produced.