Silicon carbide/titanium composites

Hoppe P, Amari S, Zinner E, Ireland T, Lewis RS (1994) Carbon, nitrogen, magnesium, silicon and titanium isotopic compositions of single interstellar silicon carbide grains from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite. Astrophys J 430 870-890... 

As noted above, the range of fibers employed does not precisely overlap with those employed for organic composites. Because the formation of the MMCs generally requires melting of the metal-matrix, the fibers need to have some stability to relatively high temperatures. Such fibers include graphite, silicon carbide, boron, alumina-silica, and alumina fibers. Most of these are available as continuous and discontinuous fibers. It also includes a number of thin metal wires made from tungsten, titanium, molybdenum, and beryllium. 

Most structural PMCs consist of a relatively soft matrix, such as a thermosetting plastic of polyester, phenolic, or epoxy, sometimes referred to as resin-matrix composites. Some typical polymers used as matrices in PMCs are listed in Table 1.28. The list of metals used in MMCs is much shorter. Aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and iron- and nickel-based alloys are the most common (see Table 1.29). These metals are typically utilized due to their combination of low density and good mechanical properties. Matrix materials for CMCs generally fall into fonr categories glass ceramics like lithium aluminosilicate oxide ceramics like aluminnm oxide (alnmina) and mullite nitride ceramics such as silicon nitride and carbide ceramics such as silicon carbide. 

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is widely used as an active filler in rubber and as a weatherability improver in polyolefins and polyesters. Titanium dioxide (TiOj) is widely used as a white pigment and as a weatherability improver in many polymers. Ground barites (BaS04) yield x-ray-opaque plastics with controlled densities. The addition of finely divided calcined alumina or silicon carbide produces abrasive composites. Zirconia, zirconium silicate, and iron oxide, which have specific gravities greater than 4.5, are used to produce plastics with controlled high densities. 

Titanium isotopic data for mainstream silicon carbide grains versus 829Si. The correlation between excesses of minor titanium isotopes and minor silicon isotopes most likely reflects galactic chemical evolution. The offset of the S50Ti trend to pass above the solar composition probably reflects 5-process nucleosynthesis in the parent stars, which most strongly affects 50Ti. Data from Huss and Smith (2007) and references therein. 

Metals and ceramics (claylike materials) are also used as matrices in advanced composites. In most cases, metal matrix composites consist of aluminum, magnesium, copper, or titanium alloys of these metals or intermetallic compounds, such as TiAl and NiAl. The reinforcement is usually a ceramic material such as boron carbide (B4C), silicon carbide (SiC), aluminum oxide (A1203), aluminum nitride (AlN), or boron nitride (BN). Metals have also been used as reinforcements in metal matrices. For example, the physical characteristics of some types of steel have been improved by the addition of aluminum fibers. The reinforcement is usually added in the form of particles, whiskers, plates, or fibers. 

Recent research has explored a wide variety of filler-matrix combinations for ceramic composites. For example, scientists at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute have been studying a composite made of silicon carbide fibers embedded in a silicon carbide matrix for use in high-temperature applications, such as spacecraft components and nuclear fusion facilities. Other composites that have been tested include silicon nitride reinforcements embedded in silicon carbide matrix, carbon fibers in boron nitride matrix, silicon nitride in boron nitride, and silicon nitride in titanium nitride. Researchers are also testing other, less common filler and matrix materials in the development of new composites. These include titanium carbide (TiC), titanium boride (TiB2), chromium boride (CrB), zirconium oxide (Zr02), and lanthanum phosphate (LaP04). 

Although few applications have so far been found for ceramic matrix composites, they have shown considerable promise for certain military applications, especially in the manufacture of armor for personnel protection and military vehicles. Historically, monolithic ("pure") ceramics such as aluminum oxide (Al203), boron carbide (B4C), silicon carbide (SiC), tungsten carbide (WC), and titanium diboride (TiB2) have been used as basic components of armor systems. Research has now shown that embedding some type of reinforcement, such as silicon boride (SiBg) or silicon carbide (SiC), can improve the mechanical properties of any of these ceramics. 

The multifilament fiber (10-20 xm diameter) as commercially produced consists of a mixture of /3-SiC, free carbon and SiOj. The properties of this fiber are summarized in Table 6.5. The properties of Nicalon start to degrade at temperatures above about 600°C because of the thermodynamic instability of composition and microstructure. A ceramic grade of Nicalon, called Hi Nicalon, having low oxygen content is also available Yet another version of a multifilament silicon carbide fiber is Tyranno, produced by Ube Industries, Japan. This is made by pyrolysis of poly (titano carbosilanes) and contains between 1.5 and 4wt% titanium. 

Additional increase of properties of titanium-based materials is associated with composites. For example, reinforcement due to continuous fibres of silicon carbide (up to 40-wt.%) permits strength and rigidity of such materials to be essentially increased. However, the cost of such composites appears to be prohibitive (about several tens of thousands of USD per 1-kg [19], Moreover, above temperatures of 600 °C an interaction of fibers and matrix is revealed. 

Polycrystalline diamond has been used for aluminum-matrix composites reinforced with particulate silicon carbide, boron carbide, or alumina. It also shows promise as a tool material for welding titanium, although this work is only in a preliminary stage. 

M-J. Pan, Microcracking Behavior of Particulate Titanium Diboride-Silicon Carbide Composites and Its Influence on Elastic Properties, Ph.D. Thesis, The Pennsylvania State University, 1994. 

Examples of stab resistant body armour are often quite different in constractional character. For example, some comprise a matrix of overlapping metal or composite plates located between fabric layers (based on para-aramid or UHMW polyethylene), others are based on more flexible aramid woven textiles which have been coated with silicon carbide particles to blunt the knife point and others incorporate fine tungsten wire within a knitted fabric matrix. Copying the ancient chain mail concept, similar fine mail constructed from stainless steel or titanium wire may be included as a layer. Obviously the overall weight and thickness of the resulting armour is of crucial importance for the comfort of the wearer but this will be determined largely by the magnitude of the threat. 

Titanium silicon carbide MAX phase was synthesized by pressureless sintering of ball milled TiC and Si powders of six different compositions. The sintering reactions were evaluated in situ by dilatometer analysis under flowing argon gas. The as-sintered samples were evaluated using mainly x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. This study showed that titanium carbide, silicon carbide and titanium disilicide were present as intermediate or secondary phases in the samples. 

Figure 6.14. Stability diagrams for a carbide composite showing calculated and actually observed depositions at the same conditions, (a) Calculated stability diagram. The indicated compounds are expected to be in equilibrium with a gas mixture of the tetrachlorides of silicon and titanium (with hydrogen and methane) at different concentration ratios. A composite of SiC and TiC is predicted to be stable only below 1440°C. (b) The solids deposited under different reaction conditions (the experimentally observed stability diagram). A composite of SiC and TiC is formed only at temperatures over 1550°C From T. Goto and T. Hirai. Proc. of the 10th International Conference CVD (1987), p. 1070. Reproduced by permission of the Electrochemical Society, Inc.

Metal-Ceramic Composites. Metals such as aluminum, titanium, copper and the intermetallic titanium aluminide, which are reinforced with silicon-carbide fibers or whiskers show an appreciable increase in mechanical properties particularly at elevated temperatures. These composites are being considered for advanced aerospace structures.1 1... 

First, a few studies on metal-filled composite bipolar plates are briefly described. At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) composite bipolar plates filled with porous graphite and stainless steel and bonded with polycarbonate (Hermann, 2005) has been developed. Kuo (2006) investigated in composite bipolar plates based on austenitic chromium-nickel-steel (SS316L) incorporated in a matrix of PA 6. Their results showed that these bipolar plates are chemically stable. Furthermore, Bin et al. (2006) reported a metal-filled bipolar plate using polyvinylidene fluorid (PVDF) as the matrix and titanium silicon carbide (TijSiCj) as the conductive filler and obtained an electrical conductivity of 29 S cm" with 80 wt% filling content. 

Zhu, B., Mei, B., Shen, C. et al. 2006. Study on the electrical and mechanical properties of polyvinylidene-fluroide/titanium silicon carbide composite bipolar plates. Journal of Power Sources 161 997-1001. 

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