Pre-saturated Fibrous Texture Slurry Injection for Low Porosity Composites

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Solution Overview

Problem

The manufacturing of composite materials like Oxide/Oxide and CMCs faces challenges in achieving low residual porosity due to complex porosity networks in fibrous reinforcements, leading to incomplete filling and porosity issues in the final parts.

Innovation Solution

A method involving pre-saturation of the fibrous texture with a carrier fluid before slurry injection, optimizing filler transfer mechanisms and wettability, followed by filtering and densification to ensure thorough filling and minimize porosity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a loaded slurry is injected into a fibrous reinforcement with complex porosity network, then the fibrous reinforcement is impregnated with solid fillers, but the filling of residual porosities is incomplete resulting in porosity in the final part

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefilling completenessVSAvoidporosity network complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fibrous reinforcement is pre-treated with a surfactant solution before slurry injection to modify the surface properties of the fibers. This preliminary action improves wettability and enables complete penetration of the loaded slurry into the complex porosity network, ensuring complete filling of residual porosities and eliminating porosity in the final part.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A surfactant is introduced as an intermediary substance between the loaded slurry and the fibrous reinforcement. The surfactant modifies the interfacial properties, reducing surface tension and improving the interaction between the slurry and fibrous matrix, thereby enabling complete impregnation and filling of the complex porosity network.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the slurry viscosity is kept stable for filler transport, then the slurry can be transported through the fibrous reinforcement, but the liquid phase cannot be effectively drained or filtered resulting in incomplete filler deposition

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiller transport efficiencyVSAvoidfiller deposition completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

A surfactant is added to the liquid phase of the slurry to modify its interfacial properties. This intermediary substance reduces surface tension and improves the drainage and filtration characteristics of the liquid phase, enabling effective separation of liquid from solid fillers while maintaining stable viscosity for transport through the fibrous reinforcement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Stress or pressure

If a loaded slurry is injected under pressure into a fibrous blank with complex porosity network, then the slurry penetrates the fibrous structure, but the injection and filtration steps are not well controlled resulting in porosity in the final part

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveslurry injection pressureVSAvoidinjection control precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Stress or pressureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The fibrous reinforcement is pre-treated with a surfactant solution before pressure injection to modify surface properties and improve wettability. This preliminary action enables better control of the pressure injection process by facilitating uniform slurry penetration through the complex porosity network, resulting in complete filling and elimination of porosity in the final part.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 allows for robust and repeatable production of composite materials with very low residual porosity, enhancing the material's properties by ensuring uniform distribution of refractory ceramic particles within the fibrous texture.

Implementation Method 1

optimizing filler transfer mechanisms and wettability

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectWettability: Wetting

Implementation Method 2

filtering the liquid phase of the slurry and retaining the powder of refractory ceramic particles

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFiltration: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 3

densifying the fibrous texture by treatment of the refractory ceramic particles present in the fibrous texture in order to form a refractory matrix

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDensification: Sintering

Data Source

PatentUS11255203B2Method for injecting a loaded slurry into a fibrous texture

Publication Date: 2022.02.22 SAFRAN CERAMICS SA

AI summary

A method for manufacturing a part made of composite material includes injecting into a fibrous texture a slurry including at least one powder of refractory ceramic particles suspended in a liquid phase, filtering the liquid phase of the slurry and retaining the powder of refractory ceramic particles inside the texture so as to obtain a fibrous preform loaded with refractory ceramic particles, densifying the fibrous texture by treatment of the refractory ceramic particles present in the fibrous texture in order to form a refractory matrix in the texture. The method further includes, before injecting the slurry under pressure, pre-saturating the fibrous texture with a carrier fluid consisting in injecting into said texture a carrier fluid.