Carbide Ceramic Sandwich Component Joining Paste Optimization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing carbide-ceramic components with sandwich structures face challenges in achieving a balance between low mass and high mechanical strength, as existing techniques often result in components that are either too heavy or lack sufficient mechanical stability.

Innovation Solution

The method involves producing a core structure body with cavities and connecting it to cover plates using a joining paste, where the paste is applied only to the contact areas of the core structure body, forming a meniscus area with a varying width that decreases away from the connected cover plate, and subsequently undergoing Si infiltration to create a carbide-ceramic component with a SiC joint.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If joining paste is applied to connect the core structure body to cover plates, then mechanical strength and stability are improved, but component weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoidcomponent weight
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The joining paste is applied selectively only to the contact areas of the core structure body where it connects to the cover plates, rather than uniformly across the entire surface. This localized application ensures mechanical strength is provided only where structurally necessary, minimizing the amount of paste used and thereby reducing overall component weight while maintaining required strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The meniscus area of joining paste is designed to extend slightly beyond the exact contact boundary, creating a gradual transition zone. This partial extension provides enhanced mechanical interlocking and stress distribution without adding excessive material, achieving optimal strength-to-weight ratio by using just enough paste to ensure reliable connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Weight of moving object

If joining paste is minimized for weight savings, then component weight decreases, but mechanical stability may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent weightVSAvoidmechanical stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The core structure body is pre-shaped with specifically designed contact areas before joining assembly. These pre-formed contact surfaces are optimized to maximize contact area and mechanical interlocking potential with the cover plates, ensuring that when minimal joining paste is applied, it can still achieve reliable mechanical stability through the pre-optimized geometry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The connection interface combines the core structure body material, cover plate material, and joining paste material into a composite joint system. This composite approach leverages the complementary properties of each material - the structural integrity of the carbon-based materials and the bonding capabilities of the joining paste - to achieve mechanical stability with minimal paste quantity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If the meniscus area width is increased for better bonding, then connection strength improves, but joining paste consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection strengthVSAvoidjoining paste consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The meniscus area is designed with a varying width profile rather than a uniform width. The width transitions from greater at the cover plate interface to smaller away from it, creating an optimized gradient that maximizes bonding strength at the critical connection interface while reducing paste consumption in less critical regions. This parameter variation achieves high connection strength with minimal overall paste usage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach results in a lightweight component with high mechanical stability and strength, minimizing the use of joining paste while ensuring a stable mechanical connection between the core structure and cover skins, achieving a weight-saving design with integral bonding.

Implementation Method 1

producing a pre-meniscus area of joining paste at a connection area between the core structure body and the respective cover plate after the joining paste has hardened, wherein the pre-meniscus area has a varying width

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Implementation Method 2

a carbide formation process is carried out on the combination by Si infiltration

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSilicification:

Implementation Method 3

the first outer skin, the second outer skin and the core structure are made of SiC or C-SiC or C/C-SiC

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical bonding: Chemical Bonding

Data Source

PatentEP3050862B1Method for producing a carbide ceramic component with sandwich structure and carbide ceramic component with sandwich structure
Publication Date: 2021.09.08 DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FÜR LUFT UND RAUMFAHRT E V
  • EP3050862B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3050862B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3050862B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6(b)

AI summary

Method for producing a carbide ceramic component with a sandwich structure, in which a first cover plate and a second cover plate are produced separately from a respective preform as an open-porous C-body or open-porous C/C-body, and a core structure body is produced as an open-porous C-body or open-porous C/C-body, the core structure body is positioned between the first cover plate and the second cover plate, and a combination of the first cover plate, the core structure body and the second cover plate is produced using a joining paste, and subsequently a carbide formation process is carried out on the combination by Si infiltration.Carbide ceramic component with sandwich structure, comprising a first cover layer (12), a second cover layer (14) and a core structure (16) positioned between the first cover layer (12) and the second cover layer (14), wherein the first cover layer (12), the second cover layer (14) and the core structure (16) are made of SiC or C-SiC or C/C-SiC, and wherein walls (20) of the core structure (16) are connected to the first cover layer (12) and the second cover layer (14) via a SiC joint (18, 22) and cavities (24) are located between walls (20) of the core structure (16).