STTR Phase I: Rapid, Low-Cost Processing of Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Ceramic Composites

这个小型企业技术转移第一阶段项目将展示一种快速、低成本制造连续纤维增强陶瓷复合材料（CFCCs）的方法的可行性。氟氯化碳是一类巨大的市场潜力被其过高的成本所阻碍的材料，这是由于目前低效的制造方法造成的。Thor Technologies， Incorporated将与洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室（Los Alamos National Laboratory， LANL）合作，将三种技术整合到一个单一的高效制造过程中：(1)预陶瓷聚合物；(2)高频微波辐射；(3)聚合物渗透/热解（PIP）处理。与现有方法相比，HFMW-PIP工艺将在更短的时间内以更低的成本生产cfcc。初步研究已经减轻了技术风险，并且与现有方法相比，大大提高生产率的潜力减轻了商业化风险。拟议的工作将描述HFMW辐射对材料的影响，将通过制造和测试卷和简单形状（管）来证明工艺的可行性，并将评估该工艺的生产力和经济潜力。提议的PI在预陶瓷聚合物和PIP工艺方面有丰富的经验，而我们在LANL的合作者在HFMW加热方面有丰富的经验。Thor Technologies拥有管理和财务资源，可以将该工艺开发为全面生产。各种各样的行业，从航空航天到石油和化学加工工业，都将受益于低成本材料的可用性，这些材料在高温、氧化条件下稳定，不腐蚀，重量比金属轻，但强度和韧性好。尽管到目前为止，它们的价格已经使氟氯化碳进入了一个小众市场，但将它们的成本降低到可以与金属（如金属间化合物和高温合金）竞争的程度，将打开大量的新市场。在交通和能源领域的应用将提高生产力，为国家带来更清洁的环境。

This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project will demonstrate feasibility a rapid, low-cost method of manufacturing continuous fiber-reinforced ceramic composites (CFCCs). CFCCs are a class of material whose tremendous market potential has been thwarted by their excessive cost, resulting from the current, inefficient manufacturing methods. Thor Technologies, Incorporated will team with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) to integrate three technologies into a single efficient manufacturing process: (1) preceramic polymers; (2) high frequency microwave (HFMW) radiation; and (3) polymer infiltration/pyrolysis (PIP) processing. The HFMW-PIP process will produce CFCCs in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost of current methods. Preliminary studies have mitigated the technical risk, and the potential for greatly enhanced productivity over current methods mitigates commercialization risk. The proposed effort will characterize the effects of HFMW radiation on the materials, will demonstrate process feasibility by manufacturing and testing coupons and simple shapes (tubes), and will assess the productivity and economic potential of the process. The Proposed PI has substantial experience with preceramic polymers and the PIP process, while our collaborators at LANL have extensive experience with HFMW heating. Thor Technologies has the managerial and financial resources to develop the process to full-scale production. A wide variety of industries, ranging from aerospace to the petroleum and chemical processing industry, would benefit from the availability of low cost materials that are stable under hot, oxidizing conditions, do not corrode, and weigh less than metals yet are strong and tough. Although their price has relegated CFCCs to small, niche market to-date, reducing their cost to the point at which they compete with metals, such as intermetallics and superalloys, will open substantial new markets. Applications in transportation and energy will result in increased productivity and a cleaner environment for the nation.