GATING MEANS FOR METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE MANUFACTURE

摘要

2081554 9117011 PCTABS00008 The present invention relates to the use of a gating means (3) in combination with a spontaneous infiltration process to produce a metal matrix composite body. Particularly, a permeable mass of filler material or a preform (2) is spontaneously infiltrated by molten matrix metal (5) to form a metal matrix composite body. A gating means (3) is provided which controls or limits the areal contact between molten matrix metal (5) and the filler material or preform (2). The use of a gating means (3) provides for control of the amount of matrix metal (5) which can contact the preform (2) or filler material, which may result in less machining of a formed metal matrix composite body compared with a similar metal matrix composite body made without a gating means (3). Moreover, the use of a gating means (3) ameliorates the tendency of a formed metal matrix composite body to warp due to the contact between the formed composite body and matrix metal carcass.