Ceramic Sandwich Composite Co-Curing With Expanding Foam Core
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ceramic structures capable of withstanding extreme operation conditions are bulky, expensive, or have short lifespans, and the bonding area between internal cellular structures and facesheets is limited, making them unsuitable for high-temperature applications.
Innovation Solution
A method for forming a ceramic sandwich-structured composite component by co-bonding and co-curing a ceramic foam core with CMC facesheets using a chemically- or thermally-activated ceramic foam precursor that expands within a tool to consolidate the laminate, reducing the need for autoclaves and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional ceramic structures are used to withstand extreme operation conditions, then strength and thermal resistance are improved, but weight increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ceramic structure is segmented into a sandwich configuration with facesheets and an internal cellular core structure. This segmentation allows the component to achieve high strength-to-weight ratio by distributing structural functions across separate elements, where the facesheets provide strength and the lightweight core provides structural support with minimal weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite ceramic materials including ceramic matrix composite (CMC) facesheets and ceramic core materials. These composite materials combine different ceramic properties to achieve superior performance characteristics, including high-temperature strength, toughness, and thermal resistance while maintaining lightweight properties.
2Strength
If traditional ceramic structures are used to withstand extreme operation conditions, then strength and thermal resistance are improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process merges multiple operations into a single integrated cycle. The green CMC laminate and ceramic foam core are co-cured and co-sintered in one process sequence, eliminating the need for separate curing and sintering steps. This integration reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The ceramic foam precursor self-expands during the curing process to fill the mold cavity and apply pressure to the CMC laminate, consolidating the structure without requiring external autoclave equipment. This self-consolidating behavior simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces equipment requirements, thereby lowering manufacturing cost.
3Weight of moving object
If internal cellular structures are added to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but bonding area between core and facesheets is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The internal cellular core structure is designed with optimized cell geometry and distribution to maximize bonding area between the core and facesheets. The cell structure provides extensive surface area for adhesion while maintaining lightweight properties, and the local quality of the cell walls and nodes is optimized to enhance interfacial bonding strength.
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple processing steps are used to form ceramic structures, then manufacturing precision is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The CMC laminate and ceramic foam precursor are prepared and positioned in the mold before the single integrated curing and sintering cycle. This preliminary arrangement ensures that all structural components are in their final positions before heating, eliminating the need for subsequent adjustment steps and reducing total processing time while maintaining manufacturing precision.
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 method results in a lightweight, stronger, and more cost-effective ceramic structure suitable for high-temperature applications, reducing the number of processing steps and time, while maintaining structural integrity and durability.
Implementation Method 1
the ceramic foam precursor is configured to expand within the sealed interior cavity to apply a pressure to the one or more CMC plies to consolidate the one or more CMC plies
Implementation Method 2
a sintering unit configured to sinter the green preform
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forming a ceramic sandwich-structured composite component includes applying one or more ceramic matrix composite (CMC) plies to a surface of a tool, and positioning a ceramic foam precursor with respect to the tool such that the ceramic foam precursor and the one or more CMC plies is disposed in a sealed interior cavity of the tool. The ceramic foam precursor and the one or more CMC plies are cured within the sealed interior cavity to form a green preform such that the ceramic foam precursor expands within the sealed interior cavity to apply a pressure to the one or more CMC plies to consolidate the one or more CMC plies. The expanded ceramic foam precursor forms a ceramic core of the green preform bonded to the one or more CMC plies. The green preform is removed from the tool and sintered to ceramify the green preform.