Composite by compression

Claim 1

A process for producing a composite having a composition consisting essentially of from about 1% by volume to about 90% by volume of polycrystalline inroganic filler phase consisting essentially of particles and/or filaments and from about 10% by volume to about 99% by volume of continuous interconnecting polycrystalline alkaline earth silicate matrix phase, said composite containing amorphous glassy phase in an amount of less than aobut 5% by volume of said composite, said matrix phase enveloping more than 50% by volume of the individual filler particles and/or filaments, said composite having a porosity of less than about 10% by volume, which consists essentially of forming a mixture consisting essentially of a polycrystalline inorganic filler in the form of particles and/or filaments and an alkaline earth silicate in amounts required to produce said composite said filler being selected from the group consisting of boron carbide, chromium carbide, hafnium carbide, niobium carbide, silicon carbide, tantalum carbide, titanium, carbide, vanadium carbide, zirconium carbide, hafnium nitride, niobium nitride, silicon nitride, tanttalum nitride, titanium nitride, vanadium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium boride, niobium boride, tantalum boride, titanium boride, vanadium boride, zirconium boride, TaS 2 , MoSi 2 , WSi 2 and a mixture thereof, said alkaline earth silicate being represented by the stoichiometric formula xMO/ZSiO 2 where M=Ba, Ca, Mg, Sr and a mixture thereof, where x is 1, 2 or 2 and z is 1, 2 or 3, and wherein said MO and SiO 2 constituent of said stoichiometric formula ranges to less than ±10% from said stoichiometric formula, said alkaline earth silicate having a melting point ranging from about 250° C. to about 1850° C., said filler being a solid in said process and not significantly affected by said process, and compressing said mixture at a temperature at which said alkaline earth silicate is molten ranging from about 1300° C. to about 1900° C. under a pressure sufficient to produce a product having the composition of said composite, said compressing being carried out in a protective atomosphere or vacuum in which said filler and alkaline earth silicate are substantially inert thereby producing said composite free of reaction product detectable by scanning electron microscopy of said filler and alkaline earth silicate, and cooling said product to produce said composite.