Methods of processing ceramic fiber

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10052789-B2
Application number	US-201514951737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2015
Priority date	Nov 25, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

The present application provides methods and apparatus for processing ceramic fibers for the manufacture of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). One method may include providing at least one frame including a planar array of unidirectional ceramic fibers extending across a void thereof. The method may further include at least one of depositing a coating on the ceramic fibers of the at least one frame via a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process and impregnating the ceramic fibers with a slurry including a ceramic matrix precursor composition to form at least one CMC prepreg. In some embodiments, the ceramic fibers of the planar array may include a coating, and the method may include impregnating the coated ceramic fibers with a slurry including a ceramic matrix precursor composition to form at least one CMC prepreg.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of processing ceramic fiber for the manufacture of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) article, comprising:
providing at least one frame including a planar array of unidirectional ceramic fibers extending across a void thereof; and
impregnating the ceramic fibers of the at least one frame with a slurry including a ceramic matrix precursor composition to form at least one CMC prepreg, wherein impregnating the ceramic fibers of the at least one frame includes coupling a base plate to the at least one frame extending at least partially within the void thereof such that the ceramic fibers and the ceramic matrix precursor composition form at least one CMC prepreg tape.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic fibers include a coating comprising at least one layer including boron nitride, silicon-doped boron nitride, carbon, silicon carbide or silicon nitride.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the method further includes depositing the coating on the ceramic fibers of the least one frame via a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process.

4. A method of processing ceramic fiber for the manufacture of a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) article, comprising:
providing at least one frame including a planar array of unidirectional ceramic fibers extending across a void thereof;
depositing a coating on the ceramic fibers of the least one frame via a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process; and
impregnating the ceramic fibers of the at least one frame with a slurry including a ceramic matrix precursor composition to form at least one CMC prepreg, wherein impregnating the ceramic fibers of the at least one frame includes coupling a base plate to the at least one frame extending at least partially within the void thereof such that the ceramic fibers and the ceramic matrix precursor composition form at least one CMC prepreg tape.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the CVD process includes positioning the at least one frame within a CVD reactor, and wherein the CVD process is a batch CVD process.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the coating comprises at least one layer including boron nitride, silicon-doped boron nitride, carbon, silicon carbide or silicon nitride.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ceramic fibers include a coating comprising at least one layer including boron nitride, silicon-doped boron nitride, carbon, silicon carbide or silicon nitride.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the ceramic fibers comprises a ceramic fiber tow.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the ceramic fibers comprises a non-bundled ceramic filament.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein a plurality of the ceramic fibers comprise portions of at least one continuous ceramic fiber that extends through the void a plurality of times.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the ceramic fibers comprises a portion of at least one discrete ceramic fiber that extends once through the void.

12. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ceramic fibers are substantially SiC.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Dunn Daniel Gene
• Ruud James Anthony
• Bui Pierre-Andre
• Corman Gregory Scot
• Vartuli James Scott

Classifications

• C04B2235/6028

  Shaping around a core which is removed later · CPC title

• C23C16/345

  Silicon nitride · CPC title

• C04B41/85

  with inorganic materials · CPC title

• C04B35/80 Primary

  Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like · CPC title

• C04B41/87

  Ceramics · CPC title