| abstract |
Metal-ceramic composite materials made by an infiltration technique have now been prepared using microwave energy as the heat source for thermal processing. Specifically, microwave energy has been used to heat and melt a source of silicon metal, which in turn has infiltrated carbon-containing preforms to make reaction-bonded silicon carbide composites, respectively. Both the time-at-temperature as well as the overall thermal cycle time have been greatly reduced, implying a large cost savings. |