Lanxide process
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The Lanxide process, also known as pressureless metal infiltration, is a way of producing metal-matrix composite materials by a process of partial reaction; the process involves a careful choice of initial alloy (usually aluminium with about 3% magnesium and about 10% silicon), and then the maintenance of conditions in which the polycrystalline reaction product has a mechanical composition such that metal is drawn up through it towards the oxidiser by capillary action, so the composite material grows downwards.
The process can be used for
The normal application is to produce alumina-reinforced aluminium; the process also allows the growth of ceramic layers inside metal encasements, providing pre-stressing.
Lanxide metal-matrix composite materials were used for