Fiber-containing composites

Abstract

Provided in one embodiment is a method for producing a composition, comprising: heating a first material comprising an amorphous alloy to a first temperature; and contacting the first material with a second material comprising at least one fiber to form a composition comprising the first material and the second material; wherein the first temperature is higher than or equal to a glass transition temperature (T g ) of the amorphous alloy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a composite, comprising:
 heating a structure to a first temperature, wherein the structure comprises a first material comprising an amorphous alloy and a second material comprising at least one fiber,   pressurizing the structure to cause the first material to flow into the second material, and   cooling the structure to form the composite,   wherein the first temperature is higher than or equal to the glass transition temperature (T g ) of the amorphous alloy and less than the crystallization temperature (T x ) of the amorphous alloy.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising contacting the first material and the second material. 
     
     
         3 . A method for producing a composite, comprising:
 heating a structure to a first temperature, wherein the structure comprises a first material and a second material comprising at least one fiber,   pressurizing the structure to cause the first material to flow into the second material, and   cooling the structure to form the composite,   wherein the cooling the first material is at a first cooling rate sufficient to form an amorphous alloy in the first material and the first temperature is greater than the crystallization temperature (Tx) of the amorphous alloy.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the contacting further comprises applying a pressure to the first material. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is lower than a melting temperature of the second material. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the contacting results in substantially no chemical interaction between the first material and the second material. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the heating and at least a part of the pressurizing are done simultaneously. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the amorphous alloy of the first material is zirconium-based, titanium-based, iron-based, copper-based, nickel-based, gold-based, platinum-based, palladium-based, aluminum-based, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one fiber comprises an amorphous alloy or the element carbon, silicon, boron, oxygen, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising producing the first material comprising an amorphous alloy. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the contacting involves at least one of a dip coating process, a melt spinning process, and a melt infiltration process. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the contacting further comprises:
 disposing a first layer comprising the first material over a second layer comprising the second material to form a layered structure comprising the composite, and applying a pressure to the layered structure such that a mechanical bond is formed between a first portion of the first layer and a second portion of the second layer.   
     
     
         13 . A composite comprising a first material and a second material, wherein at least a portion of the first material is in contact and bonded with the second material, the first material comprises an amorphous alloy, and the second material comprises at least one fiber. 
     
     
         14 . The composite of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one fiber comprises an amorphous alloy or the element carbon, silicon, boron, oxygen, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The composite of  claim 13 , wherein the second material comprises a woven material comprising at least a first fiber comprising an amorphous alloy and a second fiber comprising carbon fiber. 
     
     
         16 . The composite of  claim 13 , wherein the second material comprises pores and at least some of the pores are infiltrated by the first material. 
     
     
         17 . The composite of  claim 13 , wherein the composite has at least one property selected from a tensile strength of greater than about 4.5 GPa, a tensile stiffness of about 100-500 GPa, a density of about 1.8-3.0 g/cm·sup.3, and a Vickers hardness of about 400-700 Hv. 
     
     
         18 . The composite of  claim 13 , wherein the composite is resistant to corrosion. 
     
     
         19 . The composite of  claim 13 , wherein the composite comprises about 50-99 vol. % of the second material. 
     
     
         20 . The composite of  claim 13 , wherein the composite comprises less than about 3 vol. % carbide. 
     
     
         21 . The composite of  claim 13 , wherein the composite is formed by causing the first material to flow into the second material at a first temperature that is higher than or equal to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the amorphous alloy and less than the crystallization temperature (Tx) of the amorphous alloy. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first material comprises an amorphous alloy that is zirconium-based, titanium-based, iron-based, copper-based, nickel-based, gold-based, platinum-based, palladium-based, or aluminum-based, further wherein the first material optionally comprises silicon, boron, carbon, oxygen or combinations thereof.