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

这个小企业技术转让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。CFCC是一类材料，其巨大的市场潜力因其过高的成本而受到阻碍，这是由于目前效率低下的制造方法造成的。 Thor Technologies，Incorporated将与洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室（LANL）合作，将三种技术整合到一个高效的制造工艺中：（1）陶瓷预制体聚合物;（2）高频微波（HFMW）辐射;和（3）聚合物渗透/热解（PIP）处理。 HFMW-PIP工艺生产氟氯化碳的时间和成本都是目前方法的一小部分。 初步研究减轻了技术风险，与现有方法相比，生产率大大提高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，将通过制造和测试试样和简单形状（管）来证明工艺的可行性，并将评估该工艺的生产率和经济潜力。 拟议的PI在预陶瓷聚合物和PIP工艺方面拥有丰富的经验，而我们在LANL的合作者在HFMW加热方面拥有丰富的经验。Thor Technologies拥有管理和财务资源，可以将该工艺发展到全面生产。 从航空航天到石油和化学加工工业的各种工业都将受益于低成本材料的可用性，这些材料在热氧化条件下稳定，不腐蚀，重量比金属轻，但强度和坚韧高。 尽管迄今为止，氟氯化碳的价格使其只能进入小规模的利基市场，但将其成本降低到与金属间化合物和超级合金等金属竞争的程度，将打开大量新市场。 在交通和能源方面的应用将提高生产力，为国家创造更清洁的环境。

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.