THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROCESS TO PRODUCE TIB2 WHISKERS

COMPOSITE SYSTEMS HOLD THE PROMISE OF SOLVING MANY ADVANCED MATERIALS PROBLEMS AND ARE DESTINED TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN COMMERCIAL AND MILITARY APPLICATIONS. SILICON CARBIDE WHISKERS AS A REINFORCEMENT IN BOTH METAL AND CERAMIC COMPOSITES IS NOW A COMMERCIAL REALITY AND WILL DRAMATICALLYEXPAND AS THE COST OF WHISKERS AND COMPOSITES ARE REDUCED. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER REINFORCEMENTS WHICH MEET THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF MATRIX SYSTEMS THAT CANNOT BE MET BY SIC WHISKERS AND OTHER REINFORCEMENTS. IT HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED THAT TIB2 IS STABLE TO THE HIGH CONSOLIDATION TEMPERATURE OF 1900-2150 DEGREES C FOR A SIC MATRIX. TIB2 WHISKERS WOULD RESULT IN SIC COMPOSITES WITH DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED TOUGHNESS AND STRENGTH. IN ADDITION, TIB2 WHISKERS ARE STABLE IN TITANIUM AND IS READILY WET BY MOLTEN ALUMINUM WITH STABILITY TO 900 DEGREES C. THE AVAILABILITY OF TIB2 WHISKERS OFFERS SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITYFOR BOTH METAL AND CERAMIC COMPOSITES WHICH CANNOT BE MET BY ANY OTHER REINFORCEMENT. A PROGRAM IS PROPOSED FOR DEVELOPING A PROCESS TO PRODUCE TIB2 WHISKERS USING EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND OF PRODUCING SIC WHISKERS. A CURSORY INVESTIGATION HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT TIB2 WHISKERS CAN BE GROWN.