Method for coating reinforcing fiber

Abstract

This method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material comprises: opening a reinforcing fiber bundle to form a plurality of reinforcing fibers; arranging the plurality of reinforcing fibers in parallel with each other; supplying a liquid-phase or a gas-phase precursor of ceramic to the plurality of reinforcing fibers; heating the plurality of reinforcing fibers to 800°C or higher by irradiating the same with an energy flow, so as to react the precursor and generate the ceramic to bond the plurality of reinforcing fibers to each other.

Description

Method for coating reinforcing fibers

[0001] The following disclosure relates to a method for coating reinforcing fibers with ceramics using photochemical vapor synthesis.

[0002] Although ceramics have high strength and heat resistance, many ceramics suffer from the drawback of being brittle. To overcome this brittleness, attempts have been made to combine ceramics as a matrix with reinforcing fibers made of inorganic materials such as SiC. For example, fiber-reinforced composites can be produced by weaving a reinforcing fiber bundle consisting of several hundred reinforcing fibers into a fabric, and then filling the voids between the reinforcing fibers with ceramics by an appropriate impregnation method. Impregnation methods that have been tried so far include chemical vapor infiltration (CVI), liquid-phase impregnation (e.g., polymer melt impregnation pyrolysis (PIP)), solid-phase impregnation (SPI), and melt impregnation (MI).

[0003] In the above-mentioned composite technology, the matrix is ​​impregnated after the fabric is woven or knitted, so it is not easy to fully impregnate the ceramics between the fibers inside the fabric, especially as the fabric becomes larger and closer to its center.

[0004] Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose related techniques.

[0005] International Publication No. 2018 / 047419 International Publication No. 2018 / 034024

[0006] The technology disclosed below provides a method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material that has a homogeneous matrix all the way to the center, even if it is large in size, by arranging and stacking the reinforcing fibers and simultaneously growing ceramics on each reinforcing fiber to bond them together.

[0007] A method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material comprises opening a reinforcing fiber bundle to form a plurality of reinforcing fibers, arranging the plurality of reinforcing fibers in parallel to one another, supplying a liquid or gaseous phase ceramic precursor to the plurality of reinforcing fibers, and irradiating the plurality of reinforcing fibers with an energy flow to heat the plurality of reinforcing fibers to 800°C or higher, thereby reacting the precursor to produce the ceramic and bonding the plurality of reinforcing fibers to one another.

[0008] Preferably, in the heating step, the irradiation point of the energy stream is scanned along the longitudinal direction of the plurality of reinforcing fibers. More preferably, the energy stream is light emitted by one or more selected from the group consisting of a halogen lamp, an excimer lamp, and a laser oscillator. Also preferably, the manufacturing method further includes mixing vapor of an alkylchlorosilane with a carrier gas to convert the precursor into a gas phase. Even more preferably, the alkylchlorosilane is one or more selected from the group consisting of methyltrichlorosilane, dimethyltrichlorosilane, and polycarbosilane, and the carrier gas is one or more selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, nitrogen, and a rare gas.

[0009] A method is provided that can produce fiber-reinforced composite materials that are homogeneous to the center even when they are large in size.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a schematic and schematic block diagram of an apparatus for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material. Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a reinforcing fiber bundle formed by bundling a plurality of reinforcing fibers. Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a method for spreading a reinforcing fiber bundle. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an overview of a fiber spreading device. Fig. 5 is an elevation view showing a schematic view of a part of the manufacturing apparatus of Fig. 1 that supplies reinforcing fibers to a light irradiation point. Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of an apparatus for supporting reinforcing fibers.

[0011] Figure 7 is an SEM image showing the state in which a vapor-phase synthesized coating covers a reinforcing fiber. Figure 8 is an SEM image showing the state in which a plurality of reinforcing fibers are bonded to each other by a coating grown from the liquid phase and a vapor-phase synthesized coating. Figure 9 is an SEM image showing the state in which a plurality of reinforcing fibers are bonded to each other by a vapor-phase synthesized coating. Figure 10 is an SEM image showing a vapor-phase synthesized coating and reinforcing fibers. Figure 11 is a block diagram of a supply system when four types of vapor-phase raw material gases are supplied to a manufacturing apparatus. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional SEM image of an example using silane as a raw material.

[0012] Some exemplary embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0013] The technology described below generally relates to growing a ceramic on reinforcing fibers to coat them, and then continuing the growth to bond the reinforcing fibers to each other with the ceramic, thereby producing a fiber-reinforced composite material with the ceramic as a matrix.

[0014] The reinforcing fibers may be made of, for example, but not limited to, carbon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, or alumina. The ceramic coating the reinforcing fibers may be any suitable structural ceramic that provides strength and rigidity, such as carbon, carbide, nitride, boride, or silicate glass, or more preferably, non-oxide ceramics, such as carbon, silicon carbide, or silicon nitride. However, these examples are not necessarily exhaustive.

[0015] Ceramics are grown by irradiating a focused energy stream, such as light, onto a point on the reinforcing fiber, heating the point, and converting the precursor into ceramics through chemical and / or physical reactions caused by the temperature increase. Ceramic precursors can be in any of the gas, liquid, and solid phases, or a combination of two or more of these, but gas phase precursors are particularly preferred.

[0016] While the reaction is occurring, the irradiation device can be moved along the reinforcing fiber and / or the reinforcing fiber can be moved longitudinally, thereby scanning the irradiation spot along the reinforcing fiber, resulting in ceramic growing along and coating the reinforcing fiber.

[0017] The energy flow must be focused sufficiently to cause a temperature rise at the irradiation point, but the diameter of the irradiation point, or the area heated by irradiation, can be significantly larger than the reinforcing fibers. Rather, the diameter of the irradiation point is typically on the order of 1 mm, larger than the reinforcing fibers, which are approximately 10 μm in diameter. Because multiple reinforcing fibers are simultaneously heated within the irradiation point, ceramics simultaneously grow on the multiple reinforcing fibers that are closely aligned parallel to each other, thereby bonding the reinforcing fibers together. Alternatively, by subsequently arranging new reinforcing fibers closely together and repeating the ceramic growth process after the initial growth, the growth can be expanded in the width direction, resulting in two-dimensional growth. Needless to say, fiber-reinforced composites can also be grown three-dimensionally by stacking additional reinforcing fibers in the height direction and repeating the ceramic growth process. The grown ceramic functions as a matrix, allowing the production of bulk fiber-reinforced composites.

[0018] The reinforcing fibers are extremely thin, so the temperature rises extremely quickly, allowing for rapid coating growth at the irradiation point. Meanwhile, the temperature rise is limited to the vicinity of the irradiation point, thus avoiding various disadvantages due to the occurrence of unintended reactions. Furthermore, since growth is rapid, scanning of the irradiation point can be performed at a practical speed, and thus the production of fiber-reinforced composites using this method can be achieved with practical efficiency.

[0019] The manufacturing apparatus is, for example, as shown in a block diagram in Fig. 1. The manufacturing apparatus 100 generally comprises a chamber 11 for the reaction, a supply system 13 for supplying precursors and the like to the chamber 11, an exhaust system 15 for exhausting waste gas after the reaction, and piping that connects these elements in an airtight manner.

[0020] The chamber 11 has an appropriate volume capable of accommodating the reinforcing fiber 1 therein, and is preferably a container that can keep the interior airtight and can be depressurized. The reinforcing fiber 1 is introduced into the chamber 11 while being supported by an appropriate support, and the support is preferably rotated by a servo motor or the like in the direction indicated by the arrow S １ It is made movable like this.

[0021] The manufacturing apparatus 100 is provided with an energy flow source such as an irradiation device 21 located outside and adjacent to the chamber 11, or inside the chamber 11, and is configured to be able to irradiate the reinforcing fiber 1 with an energy flow such as light E. Examples of the irradiation device 21 include, but are not limited to, a halogen lamp, an excimer lamp, or a laser oscillator, and any energy source that can promote a reaction at the focus of the energy flow can be used.

[0022] The irradiation device 21 can be oriented in a direction perpendicular to the reinforcing fibers 1, or in any direction other than parallel to the reinforcing fibers 1. In addition, two or more irradiation devices can be used, not just a single irradiation device 21. For example, in order to correct uneven heating, a plurality of irradiation devices 21 can be arranged axially symmetrically with respect to the reinforcing fibers 1. When the irradiation device 21 is external, the chamber 11 may be partially provided with heat-resistant glass, and the irradiation device 21 is arranged so that light E can be irradiated through the heat-resistant glass. The irradiation device 21 can also be driven by a servo motor or the like in the direction of the arrow S ２ It may be movable as shown in FIG.

[0023] A power source 23 is electrically connected to the irradiation device 21, and light or an energy flow E is irradiated onto the reinforcing fibers 1 under the control of a controller 25. The controller 25 may also be configured to control the servo motor, the supply system 13, and the exhaust system 15 described above.

[0024] The supply system 13 may include, for example, a bottle or tank 31 for storing a liquid-phase raw material, cylinders 35 and 41 for storing a gas-phase raw material, and a vaporizer 39 .

[0025] The bottle or tank 31 is equipped with a pump capable of feeding the liquid-phase raw material in small amounts, and can feed the raw material to the vaporizer 39. The vaporizer 39 can be equipped with a temperature-controllable heater, thereby converting the liquid-phase raw material into a gas-phase precursor, which can be fed to the chamber 11 in a controlled amount. To control the amount, for example, a control valve 33 may be interposed between the bottle or tank 31 and the vaporizer 39.

[0026] A cylinder 35 may also be connected to the vaporizer 39, and the gas delivered from the cylinder 35 may be used as a carrier gas. A control valve 37 may also be interposed between the cylinder 35 and the vaporizer 39.

[0027] Another combination of a cylinder 41 and a control valve 43 may be connected to the supply system 13, thereby supplying another gas to the chamber 11. Such a gas may be an auxiliary material for producing ceramics, or may simply be a gas for dilution. Needless to say, the combination of a cylinder and a control valve is not limited to one set, but may be two or more sets.

[0028] The exhaust system 15 may be equipped with a vacuum pump 53 to promote exhaust and reduce the pressure inside the chamber 11. The pressure inside the chamber 11 is adjusted by balancing the supply amount by the supply system 13 and the exhaust capacity of the vacuum pump 53. To adjust the exhaust capacity, a control valve 51 may be provided upstream or downstream of the vacuum pump 53. Furthermore, an appropriate treatment device may be provided on the outlet side of the exhaust system 15 to render the exhaust gas harmless, one example of which is a scrubber 55.

[0029] A vacuum gauge such as a Pirani gauge or an ion gauge may be connected to the chamber 11 or the piping to measure the pressure inside the chamber 11. The output of the vacuum gauge may be used to feedback control the vacuum pump 53 and the control valve 51.

[0030] The reinforcing fiber 1 is made of, for example, silicon carbide, and a plurality (e.g., 500 to 800) of thin (e.g., 10 to 15 μm) reinforcing fibers 1 are bundled together to form a reinforcing fiber bundle 3. As illustrated in FIG. 2, a sheath fiber 5 made of, for example, a resin may be wrapped around the reinforcing fiber bundle 3, thereby maintaining the fiber bundle state. The sheath fiber 5 may be melted to form a sizing agent. Such reinforcing fiber bundles are commonly available under the names Tyranno Fiber (a registered trademark of Ube Industries, Ltd.) ZMI grade, NICALON, or HINICALON (both registered trademarks of NGS Advanced Fibers, Inc.).

[0031] If the reinforcing fiber bundles 3 remain aggregated, the penetration of the precursor between the fibers 1 is hindered, so they are preferably opened prior to ceramic growth. Although not necessarily limited to this, the opening can be achieved by using a comb 7 consisting of multiple parallel teeth as shown in FIG. 3 . The reinforcing fiber bundles 1 can be opened by placing the comb 7 perpendicular to the reinforcing fiber bundles 3 and passing the reinforcing fiber bundles 3 between the teeth. The sheath fibers 5 can be cut as they pass through the comb 7. To promote cutting, each tooth may have a blade. A heating device such as a heater can also be used to promote opening.

[0032] Instead of or in addition to the comb 7, a fiber-spreading device 17 as shown in Fig. 4 may be used. The fiber-spreading device 17 generally comprises a plurality of bars 19, and the reinforcing fibers 1 are drawn up and down between the bars 19 in a serpentine pattern. The reinforcing fibers 1 travel between the bars 19 while being gently pressed against them, and are spread in the width direction each time they pass through a bar 19. The fiber-spreading device 17 may further include a nozzle that blows compressed air onto the reinforcing fibers 1, for example, and the blown air flow further promotes the opening of the reinforcing fibers 1. The air flow may be heated as appropriate.

[0033] The opened reinforcing fibers 1 are not necessarily all aligned on the same plane, but are aligned preferentially in the horizontal direction rather than the vertical direction and generally parallel to each other. This configuration is advantageous for increasing the area where the reinforcing fibers 1 come into contact with the precursor and promoting the growth of ceramics and the bonding of the reinforcing fibers 1 with the grown ceramics.

[0034] The opened reinforcing fiber 1 can be temporarily wound on a bobbin. It can be introduced into the manufacturing apparatus 100 in a bobbin-wound state and subjected to the reaction while the reinforcing fiber 1 is pulled out from the bobbin as shown in FIG. 5. To guide the reinforcing fiber 1 to the reaction point, for example, a nozzle 27 can be used, and the nozzle 27 may also be connected to the supply system 13 to serve as a gas supply. The gas flow caused by a slight pressure difference between the inside and outside of the nozzle 27 helps to guide the reinforcing fiber 1 to the irradiation point and efficiently supply the precursor to the irradiation point. The entire structure shown in FIG. 5 may also be movable by a servo motor or the like, independently of or in coordination with the irradiation device 21.

[0035] The reinforcing fiber 1 may also be supported by a support 61 as shown in FIG. 6 . In this example, the support 61 comprises a rectangular frame 61F and clamps 61C fixed to both longitudinal ends of the frame. Alternatively, the support 61 may be provided with a backplate, and the reinforcing fiber 1 may be placed on or fixed to the backplate. Preferably, part or all of the support 61 is made of a heat-resistant material such as a C / C composite. The reinforcing fiber 1 is supported by being sandwiched between the clamps 61C. Alternatively, the clamps 61C may be replaced by pinch rollers or sliding members. In this case, the reinforcing fiber 1 can be made to travel from one end of the support 61 to the other, and may be subjected to a reaction while traveling.

[0036] While supported by the support 61, the multiple reinforcing fibers 1 are lined up adjacent to each other in parallel and are subjected to the reaction. The spacing between the reinforcing fibers 1 does not significantly increase even when the fibers are spread, and for example, the spacing between the most adjacent reinforcing fibers 1 is from close contact to a few μm. Therefore, if the growth rate of the ceramics is appropriate, the ceramics growing on one reinforcing fiber 1 and the ceramics growing on the other adjacent reinforcing fibers 1 can easily come into contact and become one, bonding the reinforcing fibers together.

[0037] 1 and 5, for example, the reinforcing fiber 1 is introduced into the chamber 11 in one of the above-described modes and placed near the focus of the light E. Preferably, the chamber 11 is closed and appropriately depressurized by the exhaust system 15, and then the precursor is introduced through the supply system 13. While maintaining the pressure inside the chamber 11 slightly reduced from atmospheric pressure, the irradiation device 21 is operated to irradiate the reinforcing fiber 1 with the light E, and the precursor reacts at the irradiation point F, causing ceramics to grow and coat each of the reinforcing fibers 1. The growing ceramic also coats adjacent reinforcing fibers 1, thereby bonding multiple reinforcing fibers 1 to each other through the ceramic within a certain width range. The bonding range depends on the size of the focus.

[0038] An example of a precursor is methyltrichlorosilane. Methyltrichlorosilane can be vaporized and used in the reaction in a gaseous state, for example, by thermal decomposition at temperatures above 800°C to produce silicon carbide. The precursor can be supplied into the chamber 11 together with a carrier gas. The carrier gas can be any suitable gas that is chemically inert to the precursor, such as hydrogen or nitrogen, or a rare gas such as argon or helium.

[0039] Another example of a precursor for silicon carbide is polycarbosilane, such as that commonly available under the name CVD-4000 (Starfire). It has a relatively low molecular weight, is a highly mobile liquid, and volatilizes upon heating, making it convenient for use in the gas phase.

[0040] Another example is the combination of dimethyldichlorosilane and hydrogen. Silicon carbide can be synthesized from two or more precursors, such as tetrachlorosilane and tetrachloromethane, or silane and ethylene. Alternatively, other alkanes, alkenes, or alkynes, such as methane or acetylene, can be combined with silane instead of ethylene. Needless to say, when growing other ceramics, such as silicon nitride, appropriate precursors should be used accordingly.

[0041] The precursor is not limited to gas phase precursors; the above-mentioned method can also be used with liquid precursors. For example, polycarbosilane is a liquid and can produce silicon carbide when fired. In addition to the above-mentioned CVD-4000, polycarbosilane is commonly available under the name SMP-10 (Starfire). If the reinforcing fiber 1 is immersed in such a liquid, or if the liquid is applied to the reinforcing fiber 1 and then similarly irradiated with light E and heated, a matrix made of silicon carbide can be produced. The liquid can be applied using a brush or an appropriate coater, or a dripping means such as a dropper, syringe, or nozzle.

[0042] Alternatively, growth from a liquid phase and growth from a vapor phase may be repeated, and further alternatively, a solid phase precursor such as silica or carbon powder may be used in combination.

[0043] The irradiation point F is not fixed on the reinforcing fiber 1, but is preferably scanned at a constant speed. That is, the irradiation point F is scanned in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing fiber 1 by moving the reinforcing fiber 1 in its longitudinal direction while continuing to irradiate it with light E, or by moving the irradiation device 21 along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing fiber 1. Ceramics grow in the area scanned by the irradiation point F.

[0044] Scanning of the irradiation spot F is possible not only in the longitudinal direction but also in the width direction. That is, once scanning in the longitudinal direction is completed at a certain length, the irradiation spot F can be moved to an adjacent position and scanned further in the longitudinal direction. By repeating this operation, ceramics can be generated two-dimensionally and planarly. Needless to say, the reinforcing fibers 1 are bonded to each other two-dimensionally and planarly by the ceramics, forming a two-dimensional fiber-reinforced composite material. If new reinforcing fibers 1 are subsequently stacked in the height direction and the same operation is repeated, a three-dimensional fiber-reinforced composite material can be produced. When stacking in the height direction, the new reinforcing fibers 1 may be oriented not parallel to the previous reinforcing fibers 1 but crossing them. This helps to increase the strength of the fiber-reinforced composite material and improve its isotropy.

[0045] In order to verify the effects of this embodiment, the following tests were carried out.

[0046] A boron nitride-coated silicon carbide fiber was fixed to a support and introduced into a chamber. Methyltrichlorosilane was used as the raw material, diluted with hydrogen, and fed into the chamber. The chamber was maintained at a reduced pressure of -70 kPa below atmospheric pressure. A halogen lamp was placed outside the chamber, and its reflector was adjusted to focus the light on the fiber. The fiber was irradiated through heat-resistant glass. The focal spot size was observed visually to be on the order of a few millimeters. Upon the start of irradiation, the fiber became incandescent within a very short time, clearly indicating a temperature rise above 800°C. After 120 seconds of irradiation, irradiation was stopped, and the fiber was slowly cooled before being removed from the chamber. The coated fiber was manually folded, and the cross section was observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM image is shown in Figure 7. The rounded portions in the cross section were clearly silicon carbide fibers, as they averaged 10 μm in diameter. The surrounding coatings were clearly vapor-deposited coatings. The thickness was 1.6 to 1.85 μm, with an average of 1.7 μm, and the growth rate was estimated to be 0.85 μm / min.

[0047] We also conducted experiments to grow ceramics from liquid-phase raw materials. After fixing silicon carbide fibers coated with boron nitride to a support, SMP-10 was applied to the fibers by dripping it with a dropper. The silicon carbide fibers and the support were introduced into a chamber, maintained at a reduced pressure of -100 kPa from atmospheric pressure, and irradiated with a 20 W laser beam while moving the support at a speed of 0.5 mm / s to scan the irradiation spot. After slow cooling, the fibers were removed from the chamber, embedded in resin, and cross-sections polished and examined under an optical microscope (Figure 9). Other structures were found to fill the gaps between the round structures that appear to be silicon carbide fibers, indicating that this is a coating grown from the liquid phase. The coating grown from the liquid phase also clearly bonded the fibers together.

[0048] A test combining liquid and vapor phase growth was also conducted. As described above, SMP-10 was dripped onto silicon carbide fibers fixed to a support. The chamber was maintained at a reduced pressure of -100 kPa from atmospheric pressure. A 20 W laser beam was irradiated while the support was moved at a speed of 0.5 mm / s to scan the irradiation spot. Furthermore, methyltrichlorosilane was supplied into the chamber. The chamber was maintained at a reduced pressure of -80 to -20 kPa. A 35 W laser beam was irradiated while the support was moved at a speed of 0.2 mm / s to scan the irradiation spot. After annealing, the fibers were removed from the chamber, embedded in resin, and the cross section was polished and observed under an optical microscope (Figure 8). As can be seen from Figure 8, heterogeneous layers were observed, primarily in the upper and lower layers of the fiber group. It is presumed that the upper layer grew from the vapor phase and the lower layer grew from the liquid phase. Both coatings coat the silicon carbide fibers and also bond the silicon carbide fibers to one another.

[0049] Laser beam testing was also conducted using a gas-phase source. After fixing the silicon carbide fiber to a support, the support was introduced into a chamber, methyltrichlorosilane was supplied, and the chamber was maintained at a reduced pressure between -80 and -20 kPa. A 35 W laser beam was irradiated while the support was moved at a speed of 0.2 mm / s to scan the irradiation spot. After slow cooling, the fiber was removed from the chamber, embedded in resin, and its cross section was polished and observed under an optical microscope (Figure 10). The coating on the fiber was in close contact with each other, bonding the fibers together. The average thickness of each fiber was 20 μm. Assuming the diameter of the irradiation spot was 1 mm, the time spent under the irradiation spot was estimated at 10 seconds. This resulted in an estimated growth rate of 2 μm / s. This is significantly faster than growth by conventional methods such as CVI.

[0050] A test was also conducted to grow a silicon carbide film using a combination of silane and ethylene as raw materials. Unlike the case of using methyltrichlorosilane, which is in liquid phase at room temperature, all of the raw materials were in gas phase, so instead of the supply system 13 shown in Figure 1, a supply system 13' shown in Figure 11 was used. That is, cylinders 32, 36, 40, and 44 were filled with monosilane (SiH), in no particular order. ４ ), ethylene (C ２ H４ ), hydrogen (H ２ ), nitrogen (N ２ ) and is connected to a mixer 48 via control valves 34, 38, 42, and 46, and then to chamber 11. Nitrogen is used solely for purging the inside of the apparatus. The supply and stop of each gas is controlled by opening and closing the control valves 34, 38, 42, and 46, and the gas mixing ratio is adjusted by appropriately adjusting the valves.

[0051] The boron nitride-coated silicon carbide fibers were fixed to a support and introduced into a chamber. After thoroughly purging the chamber with nitrogen, monosilane at 0.2 slm (standard liters per minute), ethylene at 0.1 slm, and hydrogen at 1.0 slm were continuously supplied to the chamber, maintaining the chamber at a reduced pressure of -30 kPa from atmospheric pressure. Vapor deposition was performed by scanning the irradiation point with a 65 W laser beam while moving the support at a speed of 0.2 mm / s. During vapor deposition, the chamber maintained a reduced pressure of -30 ± 20 kPa. After slow cooling, the fibers were removed from the chamber, embedded in resin, and cross-sections were polished and observed using an SEM. The SEM image is shown in Figure 12. A coating was observed around each of the round-shaped fibers on the cross section, indicating that these were vapor-grown silicon carbide. The growth rate estimated from their thickness was 3.0 μm / min. The coating also at least partially bonds the fibers together.

[0052] That is, based on the above tests, it can be confirmed that a combination of silane and ethylene can be used as a raw material to form a silicon carbide coating on silicon carbide fibers and also bond the fibers together.

[0053] Although several embodiments have been described, modifications or variations of the embodiments can be made based on the above disclosure.

[0054] A technology is provided for coating reinforcing fibers with ceramics at high speed.

Claims

1. A method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material, comprising: opening a bundle of reinforcing fibers to form a plurality of reinforcing fibers; arranging the plurality of reinforcing fibers in parallel to one another; supplying a liquid or gas phase precursor of a ceramic to the plurality of reinforcing fibers; and heating the plurality of reinforcing fibers to 800°C or higher by irradiating them with an energy flow, thereby reacting the precursor to produce the ceramic and bonding the plurality of reinforcing fibers to one another.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in said heating step, the irradiation point of said energy stream is scanned along the longitudinal direction of said plurality of reinforcing fibers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the energy flow is light generated by one or more selected from the group consisting of a halogen lamp, an excimer lamp, and a laser oscillator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: mixing vapor of an alkylchlorosilane with a carrier gas to provide said precursor in the vapor phase.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said alkylchlorosilane is one or more selected from the group consisting of methyltrichlorosilane, dimethyltrichlorosilane, and polycarbosilane, and said carrier gas is one or more selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, nitrogen, and a noble gas.