Structural member and device

Abstract

To provide a new structural member and device which can achieve impact resistance and toughness while achieving reduction in weight.SOLUTION: A structural member 1 includes a metal composite body 2 formed with a hole 40, a plurality of inorganic fibers 3a or organic fibers 3b, and a resin 4, wherein the plurality of inorganic fibers 3a or organic fibers 3b exist along the inner wall of the hole 40 of the metal composite body 2, and the hole 40 is filled with the resin 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to structural members and devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, laminates formed from metal fibers are known as media used in various applications. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that can suppress the electrolytic corrosion of aluminum at low cost in a composite material of aluminum profile and carbon fiber reinforced resin. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that can bond a fiber reinforced resin material using a phenoxy resin to a metal member without deteriorating the performance of the fiber reinforced resin material. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-128175 [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-151106 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the laminate in Patent Document 1, when aluminum is joined to a different material having a high standard single-electrode potential such as carbon fiber, the aluminum may be oxidized and corrosion (electrolytic corrosion) may occur. In order to prevent this, a coating containing a thermosetting resin is formed on the surface of a substrate containing aluminum, and a carbon fiber reinforced resin layer is disposed on the coating. Here, since the carbon fiber reinforced resin is used as a layer in Patent Document 1, it is presumed that the carbon fibers are uniformly contained in the layer. In addition, in the prepreg in Patent Document 2, the reinforcing fiber material is uniformly contained in the FRP layer. When the strength is improved by using such a resin in which the carbon fibers are uniformly dispersed, it becomes necessary to increase the amount of carbon fibers added to the resin. This may result in a decrease in the impact resistance and toughness of the molded product.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide new structural members and devices that can achieve weight reduction while also achieving impact resistance and toughness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The structural member of the present disclosure comprises: A metal composite having pores formed therein; A plurality of inorganic or organic fibers; Resin and Including, The plurality of inorganic or organic fibers are present along the inner walls of the pores of the metal composite body, and the pores are filled with a resin.

[0007] In the structural member of the present disclosure, A plurality of inorganic or organic fibers may be connected to each other to form a fiber bond.

[0008] In the structural member of the present disclosure, At least a portion of the fiber bond may be impregnated with a resin.

[0009] In the structural member of the present disclosure, The metal composite may be formed by stacking metal structures.

[0010] In the structural member of the present disclosure, The metal structure may be composed of a plurality of metal members having longitudinal axes arranged in the same plane, and the holes may be formed between the metal members.

[0011] In the structural member of the present disclosure, The metal composite may have communicating pores that communicate with pores of adjacent metal structures.

[0012] In the structural member of the present disclosure, In a cross section of the structural member along a planar direction of the metal structure, The space factor of a region 20 μm away from the inner wall of the hole toward the center of the hole may be greater than the space factor of a region 20 μm or more away from the inner wall of the hole toward the center of the hole.

[0013] In the structural member of the present disclosure, The inorganic or organic fiber material may have a Young's modulus of 0.5 GPa to 1000 GPa and a fiber diameter of 0.01 μm to 100.0 μm.

[0014] In the structural member of the present disclosure, The metal composite may include aluminum and aluminum oxide.

[0015] In the structural member of the present disclosure, The metal composite may have a space factor of 30 to 80% relative to the structural member.

[0016] In the structural member of the present disclosure, The metal member may have a length of extension of its short axis of 0.1 to 4.0 mm.

[0017] In the structural member of the present disclosure, The metal members may be arranged in such a manner that the longitudinal axes extend in substantially the same direction, and may be bonded to a plurality of other metal members.

[0018] In the structural member of the present disclosure, In the metal composite, The directions in which the longitudinal axes of the metal members of adjacent metal structures extend may be substantially perpendicular to each other.

[0019] In the structural member of the present disclosure, The inorganic fibers may be carbon fibers.

[0020] The device of the present disclosure comprises: Consists of the structural members of the present disclosure. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the structural members and devices of the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain new structural members and devices that are lightweight while also achieving impact resistance and toughness. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a structural member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a portion of a metal structure constituting a structural member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams showing the configuration of a structural member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Of these, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the structural member according to the present embodiment, and Figure 2 is a side view of a part of a metal structure constituting the structural member shown in Figure 1.

[0024] -Structural member 1- 1, a structural member 1 according to the present embodiment includes a metal composite 2 in which voids 40 are formed, a plurality of inorganic fibers 3a or organic fibers 3b, and a resin 4. The plurality of inorganic fibers 3a or organic fibers 3b are present along the inner walls of voids 40 formed in the metal composite 2, and the voids 40 are filled with the resin 4.

[0025] The metal composite 2 is a member formed by laminating a plurality of metal structures 2a, and has communication holes 41 that communicate the pores 40 of adjacent metal structures 2a. In this embodiment, the metal composite 2 will be described as having six layers. The space factor of the metal composite 2 relative to the structural member 1 can be in the range of 30 to 80%.

[0026] Holes 40 are formed in the metal structure 2a, and the holes 40 are formed in the metal structure 2a so as to communicate from the upper surface to the lower surface. In other words, the holes 40 are holes that communicate in the stacking direction of the metal structures 2a, and are communicating holes 41 formed in a straight line or a meandering manner in the stacking direction of the metal structures 2a. In addition, the metal members 2b between the multiple metal structures 2a are bonded to each other at their contact points or abutting surfaces. In addition, one or more communicating holes 41 are formed in the metal composite 2. A fiber binder 3 and a resin 4, which will be described later, are placed in the communicating holes 41 formed in the metal structure 2a.

[0027] The metal structure 2a is formed by a metal member 2b having a longitudinal axis, which is arranged on the same plane and bonded to a plurality of other metal members 2b at their contact points or abutting surfaces. Here, the number "plurality" is not particularly limited, and may be 10 to 20,000.

[0028] The metal member 2b is a metal or a member containing a metal having a longitudinal axis and a lateral axis, and is a member having a shape such as a rectangle, an approximately rectangular shape, a cylindrical shape, or an elliptical cylinder shape. Therefore, when the metal member 2b is a rectangle, an approximately rectangular shape, or the like, the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the metal member 2b is expressed as a rectangle, a square, a circle, or the like. It is more preferable that the metal member 2b is a member having a shape such as a cylindrical shape or an elliptical cylinder. In this case, unevenness occurs on the surface of the metal structure 2a. In addition, in this case, the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the metal member 2b is expressed as a circle, an ellipse, or the like.

[0029] The metal member 2b includes aluminum or an aluminum alloy. Examples of the aluminum alloy include aluminum, copper, manganese, silicon, magnesium, zinc, nickel, and alloys including at least one of these metals. The extension length of the short axis of the metal member 2b is 0.1 to 4.0 mm.

[0030] At least some of the metal members 2b among the multiple metal members 2b arranged on the same surface are spaced apart from each other. As a result, voids 40 are formed between the metal members 2b, and when the multiple metal members 2b are stacked, voids 40 are formed in the metal structure 2a.

[0031] In the metal structure 2a, the length of the short axis of the metal member 2b may be substantially the same as the length perpendicular to the surface direction of the metal structure 2a, which improves the homogeneity of the metal structure 2a.

[0032] The inorganic fibers 3a and the organic fibers 3b are small fibers. The inorganic fibers 3a are carbon fibers, and are preferably made of carbon nanotubes, for example, in consideration of achieving weight reduction, high impact resistance, strength, etc. of the structural member 1. The organic fibers 3b are fibers made of cellulose, cotton, hemp, polyester, aramid, polyimide, etc. A plurality of inorganic fibers 3a or organic fibers 3b are entangled and connected to each other to form a plurality of linear, band-like, or layer-like fiber combinations 3.

[0033] The Young's modulus of the inorganic fibers 3a or the organic fibers 3b is 0.5 GPa to 1000 GPa, preferably 0.5 GPa to 200 GPa, and more preferably 0.5 GPa to 100 GPa. The fiber diameter of the inorganic fibers 3a or the organic fibers 3b is 0.01 μm to 100.0 μm, preferably 0.01 μm to 30.0 μm, and more preferably 0.01 μm to 10.0 μm.

[0034] The fiber binder 3 is a binder formed of a plurality of inorganic fibers 3a or organic fibers 3b, and is a member disposed extending along the surface of an alumina layer (aluminum oxide layer) 5 described later. A portion of the fiber binder 3 does not need to be in contact with the surface of the alumina layer 5. Even when the fiber binder 3 is disposed along the surface of the alumina layer 5 described later, the pores 40 are not blocked.

[0035] At least a part of the fiber binder 3 is impregnated with the resin 4. At this time, at least a part of the fiber binder 3 extending along the surface of the alumina layer 5 is impregnated with the resin 4, so that movement from the vicinity of the surface of the alumina layer 5 is restricted.

[0036] The resin 4 is a flexible material and is made of a natural or synthetic resin. For example, the resin 4 can harden over time or with heat to become solid, and examples of the resin 4 include thermosetting resins (epoxy resins, etc.) and thermoplastic resins (polyimide resins, etc.).

[0037] In any cross section of the structural member 1 along the planar direction of the metal structure 2a, the space factor of the fiber bonds 3 in a region extending from the wall surface (inner wall; wall surface of the alumina layer 5) of the metal structure 2a to 20 μm toward the center of the hole 40 is greater than the space factor of the fiber bonds 3 in a region extending from a position 20 μm away from the wall surface (inner wall; wall surface of the alumina layer 5) of the metal structure 2a toward the center of the hole 40 to the center of the hole 40. The space factor is calculated by (cross-sectional area of ​​the fiber bonds 3 in the cross section) / ((cross-sectional area of ​​the fiber bonds 3 in the cross section)+(cross-sectional area of ​​the resin 4 in the cross section))×100(%).

[0038] The metal structure 2a may be flat or three-dimensional. The length perpendicular to the surface direction of the metal structure 2a (the thickness of the metal structure 2a) may be the same or substantially the same as the length of the short axis of the metal member 2b. In this case, the homogeneity of the metal structure 2a is improved. Here, the length of the short axis of the metal member 2b may be expressed as a circle-equivalent diameter. In this specification, the "circle-equivalent diameter" refers to the diameter of a circle having the same area as the area of ​​a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the metal member 2b.

[0039] The ratio of the length of the longitudinal axis of the metal member 2b to the length of the lateral axis of the metal member 2b may be 1-13.

[0040] Here, the length of the short axis of the metal member 2b may be 0.1 mm to 4.0 mm.

[0041] Moreover, it is preferable that the corners of the metal member 2b are rounded. In other words, each corner of the metal member 2b is formed to be curved.

[0042] The alumina layer 5 is a layer containing aluminum oxide, and is formed on the outer surface of the metal composite 2 and on the uneven surface of the wall of the metal composite 2 that forms the voids 40 (the surface where the voids 40 and the metal composite 2 contact each other).

[0043] The alumina layer 5 has a thickness of 1 to 100 μm, and does not block the pores 40 even when the alumina layer 5 is formed on the outer surface of the metal composite 2 and on the uneven surface of the wall surface of the metal composite 2 that forms the pores 40.

[0044] According to the structural member 1 of the present embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration, a structural member 1 can be formed, which includes a metal composite 2 in which pores 40 are formed, a plurality of inorganic fibers 3a or organic fibers 3b, and a resin 4, and in which the plurality of inorganic fibers 3a or organic fibers 3b are present along the inner walls of the pores 40 of the metal composite 2, and the pores 40 are filled with the resin 4. To explain in more detail, in the conventional technology, in order to prevent corrosion (electrolytic corrosion) due to oxidation of aluminum, a coating containing a thermosetting resin is formed on the surface of a substrate containing aluminum, and a carbon fiber reinforced resin layer is disposed on the coating. There was also one in which a reinforcing fiber material was uniformly contained in the FRP layer. However, when the strength is improved by using such a resin in which carbon fibers are uniformly dispersed, it becomes necessary to increase the amount of carbon fibers added to the resin. This may result in a decrease in the impact resistance and toughness of the molded product. In contrast, in the structural member 1 of the present embodiment, the inorganic fibers 3a or the organic fibers 3b can be positioned near the wall surfaces of the voids 40 of the metal composite 2 by the resin 4, and the inorganic fibers 3a or the organic fibers 3b can be unevenly distributed near the wall surfaces of the voids 40 formed in the thickness direction of the metal composite 2. This can improve the strength of the entire structural member 1. In addition, since the inorganic fibers 3a or the organic fibers 3b are not uniformly contained in the resin 4, the impact resistance and toughness of the structural member 1 can be maintained and improved. Furthermore, by using the resin 4 instead of only a metal such as aluminum fiber, the weight of the structural member 1 can also be reduced.

[0045] In addition, in the structural member 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, a plurality of inorganic fibers 3a or organic fibers 3b may be connected to each other to form a fiber bond 3. In this case, the fiber bond 3 in which a plurality of inorganic fibers 3a or organic fibers 3b are integrated is widely arranged along the inner wall of the metal composite 2, thereby improving impact resistance and toughness. This allows the strength of the entire structural member 1 to be improved.

[0046] In addition, in the structural member 1 of this embodiment, as described above, at least a part of the fiber binder 3 may be impregnated with the resin 4. In this case, the inorganic fibers 3a or the organic fibers 3b are unevenly distributed along the inner wall of the metal composite 2 (the surface where the voids 40 and the metal composite 2 contact each other) even in the resin 4, so that the content of the inorganic fibers 3a or the organic fibers 3b in the resin 4 can be reduced, and the impact resistance and toughness of the structural member 1 can be prevented from decreasing. Furthermore, since the content of the inorganic fibers 3a or the organic fibers 3b in the resin 4 can be reduced, the flexibility of the resin 4 can be maintained. This allows the bending property of the structural member 1 to be improved.

[0047] In addition, in the structural member 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the metal composite 2 may be formed by stacking the metal structures 2a. In this case, since the metal composite 2 is formed from a plurality of metal structures 2a, the stress relaxation property is improved and flexibility can be realized.

[0048] Furthermore, in the structural member 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the metal structure 2a may be composed of a plurality of metal members 2b having longitudinal axes arranged on the same plane, and holes 40 may be formed between the metal members 2b.

[0049] In addition, in the structural member 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the metal composite 2 may have communication holes 41 that communicate with the voids 40 of adjacent metal structures 2a. In this case, the fiber binders 3 can be arranged over the entire thickness direction of the structural member 1 on the inner walls of the communication holes 41 (the surfaces where the voids 40 and the metal composite 2 contact each other), and therefore the strength of the structural member 1 can be improved.

[0050] In addition, in the structural member 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, in the cross section of the structural member 1 along the planar direction of the metal structure 2a, the space factor of the region 20 μm away from the inner wall of the hole 40 toward the center of the hole may be greater than the space factor of the region 20 μm or more away from the inner wall of the hole 40 toward the center of the hole. In this case, the space factor of the inorganic fiber 3a or the organic fiber 3b decreases from the inner wall toward the center of the structural member 1, so that the inorganic fiber 3a or the organic fiber 3b is unevenly distributed on the inner wall of the metal composite 2 (the surface where the hole 40 and the metal composite 2 contact each other). In this case, the content of the inorganic fiber 3a or the organic fiber 3b in the resin 4 can be reduced, so that the flexibility of the resin 4 can be maintained. This can improve the bending property of the structural member 1.

[0051] In the structural member 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the inorganic fibers 3a or the organic fibers 3b may have a Young's modulus of 0.5 GPa to 1000 GPa and a fiber diameter of 0.01 μm to 100.0 μm. In this case, since the inorganic fibers 3a or the organic fibers 3b are rigid, the strength of the structural member 1 can be improved.

[0052] In addition, in the structural member 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the metal composite 2 may contain aluminum and aluminum oxide. In this case, since aluminum is easy to process and relatively lightweight, the structural member 1 can be easily processed and weight reduction can be achieved. Furthermore, since aluminum has a small linear expansion coefficient, peeling between the metal members 2b is unlikely to occur even when the temperature of the surrounding environment changes. Note that the metal member 2b may be a metal other than aluminum as long as it has such a function.

[0053] Furthermore, in the structural member 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the space factor of the metal composites 2 with respect to the structural member 1 may be 30 to 80%. In this case, since the metal composites 2 contain aluminum and aluminum oxide, it is possible to achieve a reduction in weight of the structural member 1 while maintaining a certain level of strength.

[0054] In the structural member 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the extension length of the short axis of the metal member 2b may be 0.1 to 4.0 mm. In this case, the size of the metal member 2b can be kept small, so that the structural member 1 can be made lighter while maintaining its strength.

[0055] In the structural member 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the metal members 2b may be arranged in a row with their longitudinal axes extending in substantially the same direction, and may be bonded to other metal members 2b. In this case, it is possible to improve the flexibility in the arrangement direction of the metal members 2b while maintaining the toughness in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the longitudinal axes of the metal members 2b extend.

[0056] In addition, in the structural member 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the directions in which the longitudinal axes of the metal members 2b of the adjacent metal structures 2a extend may be substantially perpendicular to each other in the metal composite 2. In this case, the structural member 1 can have improved strength and achieve high rigidity against external pressure.

[0057] In addition, in the structural member 1 of the present embodiment, as described above, the inorganic fibers 3a may be carbon fibers. In this case, since carbon fibers have a high Young's modulus, the strength of the structural member 1 can be increased.

[0058] As described above, the device 100 of this embodiment is made up of the structural member 1, examples of which include a stirring blade, a rotor, a pressure tank, and a shaft.

[0059] The structural member 1 and the device 100 according to this embodiment are not limited to the above-mentioned aspects.

[0060] For example, in the present embodiment, the inorganic fibers 3a are described as being made of carbon nanotubes, but the inorganic fibers are not limited to carbon nanotubes as long as they have high strength.

[0061] In the present embodiment, the metal members 2b may be arranged in the metal structure 2a so that the longitudinal axes of the metal members 2b extend in substantially the same direction, and may be bonded to other metal members 2b. This makes it possible to improve the flexibility in the direction in which the metal members 2b are arranged, and thus improves the flexibility of the metal structure 2a in a specific direction.

[0062] In the metal composite 2 of the present embodiment, the directions in which the longitudinal axes of the metal members 2b of the adjacent metal structures 2a extend may be substantially perpendicular to each other. This makes it possible to improve the strength of the metal structures 2a in the bending direction, thereby realizing high rigidity against external pressure.

[0063] Furthermore, the device 100 may be formed from the structural member 1 of this embodiment. In this case, it is possible to realize the device 100 that is relatively lightweight and has excellent tensile strength, processability, and the like.

[0064] Furthermore, the metal member 2b may be partially or entirely hollow or tubular.

[0065] Moreover, the thickness of the alumina layer 5 does not need to be constant as long as the pores 40 are not blocked.

[0066] <Example>

[0067] (Method of manufacturing metal structure and metal composite) Metal structures and metal composites were produced according to Examples 1 to 15 and Comparative Example 1 shown in Table 1. That is, the metal members were arranged so that their longitudinal axes extended in the same direction, and the metal members were sintered together using sintering equipment heated to 900° C., to produce each metal structure. The obtained metal structures were stacked in multiple layers so that the longitudinal axes of the metal members of adjacent metal structures were perpendicular to each other and the thickness of the metal composite was 10 mm. The metal structures were sintered using sintering equipment heated to 900°C to produce each metal composite.

[0068] [Table 1]

[0069] (Method of manufacturing structural members) In Examples 1 to 5 and 7 to 15 shown in Table 1, each of the obtained metal composites was immersed in a carbon nanotube dispersion liquid (L01-01, manufactured by ASTI, Young's modulus 30 GPa) for 1 minute, then removed, placed in a thermostatic bath set at 100°C, left to stand for 1 hour, and then removed. In Example 6 shown in Table 1, each of the obtained metal composites was immersed in a cellulose nanofiber dispersion (Nanoforest-S 2 wt%, Young's modulus 13 GPa, manufactured by Chuetsu Pulp Industry Co., Ltd.) for 1 minute, then removed, placed in a thermostatic bath set at 100°C, left to stand for 1 hour, and then removed. Each metal composite was impregnated with a one-component curing epoxy resin (TB2230 manufactured by ThreeBond), placed in a thermostatic chamber set at 100°C, left to stand for 2 hours, and then removed to produce each of the structural components of Examples 1 to 15 and Comparative Example 1 shown in Table 1.

[0070] (Young's modulus of structural members) The Young's modulus was calculated in accordance with ISO6892-1:2016. That is, each structural member obtained was cut into a size of 10.0 mm wide x 50.0 mm long x 3.0 mm thick to obtain each test piece. Using a universal tensile testing machine (A&D Co., Ltd., RTC-2430A), each test piece was pulled in the length direction (tensile speed 300 mm / min) to obtain the Young's modulus of each structural member.

[0071] (Flexibility of structural members) The bending property was evaluated in accordance with ISO Z 2248. That is, each structural member obtained was cut into a size of 10.0 mm wide x 50.0 mm long x 3.0 mm thick to obtain each test piece. A universal tensile tester (A&D, RTC-2430A) was used to evaluate the bending property. The distance between supports was set to 30 mm (support radius 20 mm), and a stainless steel pressing metal fitting with R=20 mm was pressed against the support (pressing speed 300 mm / min). The test distance at which the obtained load was maximum was the evaluation result of "bending property".

[0072] (Weight of structural members) The obtained test pieces were cut into 10.0 mm width × 10.0 mm length × 10.0 mm thickness, and the weight was measured using an electronic balance (A & D Co., Ltd., GF10002A) to obtain the evaluation results. The evaluation results are shown in Table 2.

[0073] [Table 2] [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 Structural members 2 Metal composite 2a Metal structure 2b Metallic parts 3 Fiber composite 3a Inorganic Fibers 3b Organic Fibers 4. Resin 40 Vacancies 41 Communication hole 5 Alumina layer 100 devices

Claims

1. A metal composite having pores formed therein; A plurality of inorganic or organic fibers; Resin and Including, A structural member, wherein the plurality of inorganic or organic fibers are present along inner walls of pores of the metal composite, and the pores are filled with resin.

2. The structural member according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of inorganic or organic fibers are connected to each other to form a fiber bond.

3. The structure of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the fiber aggregate is impregnated with a resin.

4. The structural member according to claim 1 , wherein the metal composite is formed by stacking metal structures.

5. The structural member according to claim 4 , wherein the metal structure is composed of a plurality of metal members having longitudinal axes arranged in the same plane, and the voids are formed between the metal members.

6. The structural member according to claim 5 , wherein the metal composite has communicating holes that communicate with pores of adjacent metal structures.

7. In a cross section of the structural member along a planar direction of the metal structure, 7. A structural member according to claim 1, wherein the space factor of a region 20 μm away from the inner wall of the hole toward the center of the hole is greater than the space factor of a region 20 μm or more away from the inner wall of the hole toward the center of the hole.

8. 7. The structural member according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic or organic fiber material has a Young's modulus of 0.5 GPa to 1000 GPa and a fiber diameter of 0.01 μm to 100.0 μm.

9. The structural member of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the metal composite comprises aluminum and aluminum oxide.

10. The structural member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the space factor of the metal composite relative to the structural member is 30 to 80%.

11. 7. The structural member according to claim 5, wherein the metal member has a length of 0.1 to 4.0 mm along its short axis.

12. 7. A structural member according to claim 5, wherein the metal members are arranged in a row with the longitudinal axes extending in substantially the same direction, and are connected to a plurality of other metal members.

13. In the metal composite, The structural member according to claim 12 , wherein directions in which the longitudinal axes of the metal members of adjacent metal structures extend are substantially perpendicular to each other.

14. The structural member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the inorganic fibers are carbon fibers.

15. An apparatus comprising a structural member according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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