Abstract: A composite adhesive featuring a matrix phase that includes a cyanate ester and a filler or reinforcement phase that includes a plurality of bodies of at least one material comprising a high shear strength and/or high modulus material. Preferably, the filler also possesses at least one of high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion. Unlike certain commercially available cyanate esters, those of the instant invention substantially maintain or even increase in strength upon addition of the filler to the system. The instant composite adhesives may also display reduced coefficients of moisture expansion relative to the unfilled or “neat” resin. Such a composite adhesive is extremely useful for joining articles where high strength and minimal swelling in moist environments are required, such as in the precision equipment industry.

Abstract: A composite adhesive featuring a matrix phase that includes a cyanate ester and a filler or reinforcement phase that includes a plurality of bodies of at least one material comprising a high shear strength and/or high modulus material. Preferably, the filler also possesses at least one of high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion. Unlike certain commercially available cyanate esters, those of the instant invention substantially maintain or even increase in strength upon addition of the filler to the system. The instant composite adhesives may also display reduced coefficients of moisture expansion relative to the unfilled or “neat” resin. Such a composite adhesive is extremely useful for joining articles where high strength and minimal swelling in moist environments are required, such as in the precision equipment industry.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to a novel method for forming a self-supporting body. Specifically, the formed self-supporting body has a higher volume percent of metallic constituent relative to a body formed by similar techniques. A first porous self-supporting body is formed by reactively infiltrating a molten parent metal into a bed or mass containing a boron donor material and a carbon donor material (e.g., boron carbide) and/or a boron donor material and a nitrogen material (e.g., boron nitride) and, optionally, one or more inert fillers. Additionally, powdered parent metal may be admixed with a mass to be reactively infiltrated to form additional porosity therein. The porous self-supporting body which is formed by the reactive infiltration process according to this invention should contain at least some interconnected porosity which is capable of being filled in a subsequent step with additional metal, thus increasing the volume percent of parent metal in the body at the expense of porosity.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to a novel directed metal oxidation process which is utilized to produce self-supporting bodies. In some of the more specific aspects of the invention, a parent metal (e.g., a parent metal vapor) is induced to react with at least one solid oxidant-containing material to result in the directed growth of a reaction product which is formed from a reaction between the parent metal and the solid oxidant-containing material. The inventive process can be utilized to form bodies having substantially homogeneous compositions, graded compositions, and macrocomposite bodies.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to a novel method for joining at least one first self-supporting body to at least one second self-supporting body which is similar in composition to or different in composition from said at least one first self-supporting body and to novel products which result from such joining. In some of its more specific aspects, this invention relates to different techniques for joining ceramic matrix composite bodies to other ceramic matrix composite bodies of similar characteristics and for joining ceramic matrix composite bodies to bodies which have different characteristics (e.g., metals). The ceramic matrix composite bodies of this invention are produced by a reactive infiltration of a molten parent metal into a bed or mass containing at least one of a boron source material, a carbon source material, and a nitrogen source material and, optionally, one or more inert fillers.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to a novel directed metal oxidation process which is utilized to produce self-supporting bodies. In some of the more specific aspects of the invention, a parent metal (e.g., a parent metal vapor) is induced to react with at least one solid oxidant-containing material to result in the directed growth of a reaction product which is formed from a reaction between the parent metal and the solid oxidant-containing material. The inventive process can be utilized to form bodies having substantially homogeneous compositions, graded compositions, and macrocomposite bodies.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to a novel directed metal oxidation process which is utilized to produce self-supporting bodies. In some of the more specific aspects of the invention, a parent metal vapor is induced to react with a solid oxidant to result in the directed growth of a reaction product which is formed from a reaction between the parent metal vapor and the solid oxidant. The inventive process can be utilized to form bodies having substantially homogeneous compositions, graded compositions, and macrocomposite bodies.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to a novel method for joining at least one first self-supporting body, to at least one second self-supporting body which is similar in composition to or different in composition from said at least one first self-supporting body and to novel products which result from such joining. In some of its more specific aspects, this invention relates to different techniques for joining ceramic matrix composite bodies to other ceramic matrix composite bodies of similar characteristics and for joining ceramic matrix composite bodies to bodies which have different characteristics (e.g., metals). The ceramic matrix composite bodies of this invention are produced by a reactive infiltration of a molten parent metal into a bed or mass containing a boron source material and a carbon source material (e.g., boron carbide) and/or a boron source material and a nitrogen source material (e.g., boron nitride) and, optionally, one or more inert fillers.