AlBeMet® Products

Requirements for aircraft and satellite Avionic systems continue to challenge materials development. Designers are seeking higher packaging densities, lower delta junction temperatures, higher heat loads, smaller and lighter packaging utilizing chip on board, BTA and more advanced surface mount technologies.

To address these higher performance needs, Brush Wellman Inc. has developed a family of metal matrix composites made up principally of beryllium and aluminum. The ratio of the two metals can be varied to achieve the desired physical, thermal and mechanical properties.

One composition, AlBeMet® (AM 162) is a 62% beryllium/38% aluminum composite. This is a powder metallurgy product produced by gas atomization and is available in the form of rod, bar, tube and sheet. These shapes are derived by consolidating the aluminum/beryllium powder by hot isostatic pressing (HIP) and cold isostatic pressing (CIP) followed by extrusion or sheet rolling processes. The material is also available as an investment casting under the name AlBeCast®.

Brush Wellman, 17876 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44110. Tel: 216-486-4200; Fax: 216-383-4005.