Preliminary results of studies of ceramic-metal composites Al2O3-Fe obtained via infiltration of a porous ceramic matrix are reported. Composites with a thin FeAl2O4 spinel layer, as observed in the present work, on the ceramic/metal interface, will give an opportunity to develop an interpenetrating network with a strong ceramic-metal bonding. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.