Forced Flow Thermal Gradient Pulse Silicon Carbide Infiltration for Improved Ceramic Composites

为了应对先进高温应用对改进工程材料的需求，研究人员计划应用在几个陶瓷和复合材料开发项目中获得的广泛的复合材料加工经验、知识库和理解，以改进化学气相渗透(CVI)工艺的最先进水平。具体地说，研究人员打算将强制流动热梯度和脉冲渗透技术相结合，直接产生用于热交换器和热机的更高质量、更经济的碳化硅(SIC)复合材料。这种方法有可能解决由于渗透不足而反复出现的纤维之间的微孔率问题，消除目前最先进的材料中出现的大量渗透性，并通过极大地减少加工时间来提高复合材料加工的经济性。

In response to the need for improved engineered materials for advanced elevated temperature applications, the researchers plan to apply the extensive composite processing experience, knowledge base, and understanding acquired in several ceramic and composite development programs to improving the state-of-the-art in chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) processing. Specifically, the researchers intend to combine the forced-flow thermal gradient and pulse techniques of infiltration, directly resulting in higher quality, more economical silicon carbide (SiC) composites for use in heat exchangers and heat engines. The approach has the potential to solve the recurring difficulty of microporosity between fibers due to inadequate infiltration, eliminate the substantial permeability occurring in current state-of-the-art materials, and improve the economics of composite processing via vastly reduced processing times.