COMPOSITE MATERIAL INCLUDING SILICON CARBIDE AND/OR SILICON NITRIDE SHORT FIBERS AS REINFORCING MATERIAL AND ALUMINUM ALLOY WITH COPPER AND RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF SILICON AS MATRIX METAL

摘要

A composite material is made from silicon carbide and/or silicon nitride short fibers embedded in a matrix of metal. The metal is an alloy consisting essentially of between approximately 2% to approximately 6% of copper, between approximately 05% to approximately 3% of silicon, and remainder substantially aluminum. The short fibers may be all silicon carbide short fibers, or may be all silicon nitride short fibers, or may be a mixture of silicon carbide and silicon nitride short fibers. The fiber volume proportion of the silicon carbide and/or silicon nitride short fibers may desirably be between approximately 5% and approximately 50%, and may more desirably be between approximately 5% and approximately 40%.