Boron carbide composite bodies, and methods for making same
US6862970B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 20, 2001 |
| Grant date | Mar 8, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 31, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC04B2237/365
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A composite body produced by a reactive infiltration process that possesses high mechanical strength, high hardness and high stiffness has applications in such diverse industries as precision equipment and ballistic armor. Specifically, the composite material features a boron carbide filler or reinforcement phase, and a silicon carbide matrix produced by the reactive infiltration of an infiltrant having a silicon component with a porous mass having a carbonaceous component. Potential deleterious reaction of the boron carbide with silicon during infiltration is suppressed by alloying or dissolving boron into the silicon prior to contact of the silicon infiltrant with the boron carbide. In a preferred embodiment of the invention related specifically to armor, good ballistic performance can be advanced by loading the porous mass or preform to be infiltrated to a high degree with one or more hard fillers such as boron carbide, and by limiting the size of the largest particles making up the mass. The instant reaction-bonded silicon carbide (RBSC) composite bodies surpass previous RBSC's as armor materials, and in this capacity approach the ballistic performance of current carbide armor …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.