Advanced Intermetallic Matrix Composites

MANY CURRENT AND PLANNED DEFENSE AEROSPACE PROGRAMS DEPEND CRITICALLY UPON RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF LIGHTWEIGHT COMPOSITE MATERIALS HAVING UNPRECEDENTED HIGH-TEMPERATURE PROPERTIES. CONTINUOUS FIBER REINFORCED INTERMETALLIC MATRIX COMPOSITES (IMC'S) HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MEET THESE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS, AND CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH EFFORT IS NOW DEVOTED TO DEVELOPING THEM. WE RECENTLY DEMONSTRATED A NOVEL METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CONTINUOUS SILICON CARBIDE FIBER-REINFORCED TITANIUM ALUMINIDE COMPOSITES WITH EXCELLENT FIBER DISTRIBUTION IN A FINE-GRAINED MATRIX. OFFERING THE MATERIALS DESIGNER REMARKABLE ACCESS TO MICROSTRUCTURAL VARIABLES, THE PROCESS FACILITATES SYNTHESIS OF NON-EQUILIBRIUM STRUCTURES THAT WILL BE EXPLOITED IN PHASE I TO LOWER TRADITIONAL CONSOLIDATION AND SHAPING TEMPERATURES FROM 1300 DEGREE TO 600 DEGREE. A VARIETY OF CONTINUOUS IMC PRECURSORS WILL BE FABRICATED, CONSOLIDATED, AND CHARACTERIZED. PHASE II WOULD DEMONSTRATE PILOT-SCALE PRODUCTION OF IMC PRECURSORS AND REPRODUCIBILITY OF THE CONSOLIDATION AND FORMING PROCESSES FOR PROTOTYPE ENGINEERING STRUCTURES.