Using the special self-manufactured processing equipment

we fabricated the aluminium matrix composites with high volume fraction (55%~57%) SiC particles based on a novel pressureless infiltration fabrication technology. The microstructures

mechanical and physical properties

fracture mechanism of the composites were characterized. Additionally

several kinds of typical optomechanical components for space-based optical systems were produced successfully by means of electromachining (such as wire electrical discharge)

grinding

abrading

etc. The investigation reveals that the composites have good mechanical properties

such as ultra-high modulus (the Young’s modulus is 213 GPa

the specific modulus is approximately as three times as Al

Ti

and steel)

as well as prominent thermal management function(low thermal expansion coefficient (8×10

-6

K

-1

)

and very high thermal conductivity (235 W/m·K)). Experimental results show that the new multi-function and lightweight SiC/Al composites can be used in the optomechanical systems in the space field to improve greatly the thermal management effect and to sharply decrease the whole weight of the space-based optomechanic structure.