| 3M has developed a high performance, high strength, metal matrix composite material used to reinforce aluminum and its alloys. This non-magnetic, low-density material has the strength of steel at a fraction of the weight and has excellent performance at high temperature.
3M Metal Matrix Composite Products
is a non-homogeneous conductor consisting of high-temperature aluminum-zirconium strands covering a stranded core of fiber-reinforced composite wires.
3M™ High Performance Pushrods
combine the light weight of aluminum with the high strength and stiffness of 3M™ Nextel™ Ceramic Fibers to form an innovative composite pushrod.
Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMC)
3M has developed a high performance material whose constituents are high strength, high modulus alumina fiber used to reinforce aluminum and its alloys. In addition to improvements in specific strength and stiffness over conventional materials, the resulting material system has these additional advantages:
- non-magnetic
- has the strength of steel at a fraction of the weight
- extraordinary compression strength
- lightweight
- excellent performance at high temperature
- excellent fatigue resistance, creep resistance and abrasion resistance.
High Performance Materials
Building on its proven Nextel™ Ceramic Fiber technology and manufacturing base, 3M has developed Nextel™ 610—one of the world's strongest ceramic oxide fibers. 3M solgel-based Nextel ceramic oxide fibers are low-cost and high performance; suitable for composite reinforcement. Its composition of high purity alumina gives it high strength and modulus—making it ideal as a reinforcement for metal matrix composites.
3M Aluminum Matrix Composites offers a unique combination of properties, unlike any monolithic metal or polymer composite, which can be tailored by modifying the fiber content. Compared to high strength steel, this material offers equivalent strength at less than half the density and retains its strength to 300º C and beyond. Due to the reinforcing ceramic, the coefficient of thermal expansion is approximately 50% less than steel and 75% less than aluminum. Because the matrix surrounding the fibers is aluminum, the resulting material has four times the electrical conductivity of steel or half that of pure aluminum. Corrosion resistance of base aluminum is unaffected by the fibers. Other properties such as outstanding fatigue performance and compressive strength, low creep rate, nonmagnetic and good stiffness make this material unlike any monolithic metal in existence today.
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