Method of fabricating a ceramic article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10189219-B2
Application number	US-201415026023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 4, 2013
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

A disclosed resin transfer molding process includes inserting a ceramic article within a bladder defining a part cavity, inserting the bladder including the ceramic article into a second cavity with a fixed geometry, and pressurizing the bladder against the ceramic article. The method further includes injecting resin into the ceramic article within the bladder with the bladder against the ceramic article to maintain resin within the ceramic article during curing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A resin transfer molding process comprising:
inserting a ceramic article within a bladder defining a part cavity;
inserting the bladder into a second cavity with a fixed geometry;
pressurizing the bladder against the ceramic article by filling the bladder with a liquid material; and
injecting resin into the ceramic article within the bladder with the bladder against the ceramic article to maintain resin within the ceramic article during curing.

2. The resin transfer molding process as recited in claim 1 , including applying a vacuum within the bladder to the ceramic article for drawing resin into the ceramic article.

3. The resin transfer molding process as recited in claim 1 , wherein pressure within the bladder is cycled between a high pressure and a lower pressure to induce resin flow into the ceramic article.

4. The resin transfer molding process as recited in claim 1 , including-a curing the resin injected into the ceramic article into a rigid pre-ceramic polymer.

5. The resin transfer molding process as recited in claim 4 , including cooling the bladder and ceramic article to room temperature and removing the bladder and ceramic article from the second cavity.

6. The resin transfer molding process as recited in claim 5 , including removing the bladder from the ceramic article.

7. The resin transfer molding process as recited in claim 5 , including heating the ceramic article once removed from the second cavity to a temperature determined to pyrolize the pre-ceramic polymer.

8. The resin transfer molding process as recited in claim 7 , including re-inserting the ceramic article into the bladder and the second cavity, injecting additional resin, curing to form pre-ceramic polymer within the ceramic part and heating to pyrolize the pre-ceramic polymer to obtain a desired porosity of a completed ceramic article.

9. The resin transfer molding process as recited in claim 1 , wherein the liquid material comprises a pre-ceramic resin.

10. A method of forming a ceramic article comprising:
forming a ceramic article of a first porosity from a pre-mold within a first cavity;
inserting the ceramic article into a bladder defining a part cavity;
inserting the bladder into a second cavity within a second mold;
pressurizing the bladder around the ceramic article by filling the bladder with a liquid material;
injecting resin into the ceramic article within the bladder and second cavity;
curing the ceramic article within the bladder to form pre-ceramic polymer within voids within the ceramic article;
removing the ceramic article from the second cavity;
heating the ceramic article to pyrolize the pre-ceramic polymers formed within existing voids of the ceramic article to form a ceramic article of a second porosity; and
re-inserting the ceramic article into the bladder and the second cavity, injecting additional resin, curing to form pre-ceramic polymer within voids of the ceramic part and heating to pyrolize the pre-ceramic polymer to obtain a desired final porosity of the ceramic article.

11. The method of forming a ceramic article as recited in claim 10 , wherein forming the ceramic article of the first porosity includes inserting a pre-mold into a first cavity within a first mold, injecting resin into the pre-mold within the first cavity, curing the pre-mold to form a pre-ceramic polymer, removing the pre-mold from the first cavity and heating the pre-mold including the pre-ceramic polymer to form a ceramic article including a first porosity.

12. The method of forming a ceramic article as recited in claim 10 , including applying a vacuum within the bladder to the ceramic article for drawing resin into the ceramic article.

13. The method of forming a ceramic article as recited in claim 10 , wherein pressure within the bladder is cycled between a high pressure and a lower pressure to induce resin flow into the ceramic article.

14. The method of forming a ceramic article as recited in claim 10 , including cooling the bladder and ceramic article to room temperature and removing the bladder and ceramic article from the second cavity.

15. The method of forming a ceramic article as recited in claim 14 , including removing the bladder from the ceramic article.

16. The method of forming a ceramic article as recited in claim 15 , including heating the ceramic article once removed from the second cavity to a temperature determined to pyrolize the pre-ceramic polymer.

17. The method of forming a ceramic article as recited in claim 10 , wherein the liquid material comprises a pre-ceramic resin.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Mccaffrey Michael G

Classifications

• C04B41/83

  Macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• B29C70/48 Primary

  and impregnating the reinforcements in the closed mould, e.g. resin transfer moulding [RTM] {, e.g. by vacuum} · CPC title

• B29K2309/02

  Ceramics · CPC title

• B29C70/42

  for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles · CPC title

• B29C70/06

  Fibrous reinforcements only · CPC title