Refractory Composite Fabrication via Slip Impregnation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for fabricating thick or complex shape composite material parts, such as oxide/oxide or ceramic matrix composite materials, face challenges in achieving uniform impregnation and matrix distribution, leading to poor mechanical properties and increased porosity due to solvent evaporation and lack of control over matrix deposition.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a mold with a porous material chamber that allows for the injection of a refractory particle slip, followed by compression to force the slip through the fiber texture, draining the liquid while retaining the particles, and subsequent sintering to form a refractory matrix, ensuring high matrix volume fraction and improved mechanical properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If RTM method is used to impregnate fiber texture with filled slip, then impregnation of thick and complex shape textures is achieved, but additional solvent elimination step is required which considerably increases treatment time and may cause particle distribution issues
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the harmful solvent elimination step from the RTM process by using a slip without solvent (or with minimal solvent that does not require evaporation). The slurry is applied in a form that can be directly sintered, removing the time-consuming and problematic drying/evaporation stage while maintaining uniform particle distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical-chemical parameters of the slurry by using a solvent-free or low-solvent formulation. This parameter change allows the slurry to be applied and then directly sintered without intermediate drying steps, thereby reducing treatment time while preserving particle distribution uniformity.
2Quantity of substance
If solvent evaporation is performed to eliminate solvent from slip, then solvent is removed from preform, but particles may be entrained with solvent and distribution modified leading to large pores
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the solvent from the slurry formulation entirely, or uses minimal solvent that does not require evaporation. By removing the solvent elimination step, the process prevents particle entrainment and distribution modification that would otherwise occur during drying/evaporation, thereby maintaining uniform particle distribution while achieving the desired solvent content reduction.
3Volume of stationary object
If infusion type method is used for thick fiber textures, then pressure gradient is insufficient for good impregnation throughout the texture
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses hydraulic pressure (slip injection under pressure) to force the filled slip through thick fiber textures. This hydraulic approach overcomes the insufficient pressure gradient of infusion methods by actively pumping the slurry through the texture, ensuring complete and uniform impregnation throughout thick sections.
4Ease of manufacture
If 2D fiber reinforcement is used, then fabrication is simple, but mechanical characteristics remain limited especially in delamination resistance and shear force withstand
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses composite fiber textures combining different fiber orientations and types (e.g., 3D woven fabrics, stitched plies, or hybrid fiber arrangements) to achieve both improved mechanical properties (delamination resistance, shear strength) and maintained ease of manufacture. The composite structure provides enhanced performance while remaining compatible with the slip impregnation process.
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 enables fast and reliable fabrication of composite parts with reduced macropores and enhanced mechanical properties by maintaining the distribution of refractory particles and achieving high matrix content within the fiber texture.
Implementation Method 1
draining, via the porous material part, the liquid of the slip that has passed through the fiber texture while retaining the powder of refractory particles inside said texture
Implementation Method 2
injecting a compression fluid into the compacting chamber, the fluid exerting pressure on the diaphragm to force the slip to pass through the fiber texture
Implementation Method 3
it is possible to cause a filled suspension to penetrate into the fiber texture, which may be of thickness that reaches several tens of millimeters, depending on the intended applications, only by means of methods that make use of a pressure gradient
Implementation Method 4
sintering the refractory particles present in the fiber preform in order to form a refractory matrix in said preform
Data Source
AI summary
A method of fabricating a part out of composite material, includes forming a fiber texture from refractory fibers; placing the texture in a mold having an impregnation chamber including in its bottom portion a part made of porous material, the impregnation chamber being closed in its top portion by a deformable impermeable diaphragm separating the impregnation chamber from a compacting chamber; injecting a slip containing a powder of refractory particles into the impregnation chamber; injecting a compression fluid into the compacting chamber, to force the slip to pass through the texture; draining the liquid of the slip via the porous material part, while retaining the powder of refractory particles inside the texture so as to obtain a fiber preform filled with refractory particles; drying the fiber preform; unmolding the preform; and sintering the refractory particles present in the preform in order to form a refractory matrix in the preform.