CHAPTER 3 39

Chapter 3
PROCESSING METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES

3.1 General

By the definition adopted here (Section 1.1), all metal matrix

composites are produced by artificially combining reinforcements with a
metallic phase, "artificially" meaning that the two phases preexist the
material before being combined. "Making a composite" is therefore the
act of combining these two preexisting phases, matrix and reinforcement,
into a new material, the composite (as illustrated in Figure 1.1). This we
call "primary processing" of the composite. It is distinct from
"secondary processing" where the composite is deformed, shaped,
hardened, machined, coated, or joined (with itself or with another
material) after it is created. Preliminary processing steps may also exist
upstream of primary processing; these we call "pre-processing". This of
course includes making the reinforcement and the matrix, but may also
comprise steps such as arranging these in various configurations.
Examples include packing short fibres held together with a silica binder
into a preform for subsequent infiltration, or creating powdered matrix
cloth using an organic binder before solid-state consolidation with
monofilaments.

An overview of manufacturing processes for metal matrix composites

is provided in Figure 3.1 (in-situ processes are excluded since they are so
numerous that a separate chart could be built for these only). In this
diagram, the processes are separated into (vertical) classes by the physical
state of the metal matrix during primary processing: solid-state and
liquid-state processes thus form the two main categories. Remaining
processes form a single category that we define as "deposition processes",
where the matrix is coated on individual reinforcement elements before
consolidation of these "elementary composites" using solid state bonding
processes. The pre-processing, primary and secondary processes are
sorted along the horizontal direction from top to bottom. The variety
and breadth of processing methods is evident.

3.2 Primary processing of metal matrix composites

In all except in-situ processes, producing a composite consists in

bonding together, at the atomic level, a premade reinforcement with a
continuous metal or alloy. This task is far more involved than simply
"gluing" two phases together: the fine scale of the reinforcement (usually

A. Evans et al., Metal Matrix Composites in Industry

© Kluwer Academic Publishers 2003
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