Method of producing a ceramic matrix composite article

• US 20060147622A1
• Filed: 12/31/2004
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Gray, Paul Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,686,990 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/180
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/565 based on silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/573 obtained by reaction sintering or recrystallisation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/80 Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/806 The matrix of the ceramic products consisting of non-oxides only
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/009 characterised by the material treated
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/459 Temporary coatings or impregnations C04B40/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/488 Other macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/5059 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/53 involving the removal of at least part of the materials of the treated article, e.g. etching, drying of hardened concrete C04B41/0036 - C04B41/0054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/83 Macromolecular compounds

Abstract

A method of producing a CMC article having a net shape, and by which the article can be formed to have an exterior surface with desirable characteristics, such as being free of an imprint pattern of a fiber reinforcement material within the article. The method entails providing a body comprising the fiber reinforcement material, and depositing a coating on a surface of the body. The coating contains a carbonaceous binder and a slurry containing a ceramic particulate material. Following its deposition, the carbonaceous binder within the coating is cured to render the coating machinable, and the coating is then machined to approximately produce the net shape of the article.

Claims

1. A method of producing a ceramic matrix composite article having an exterior surface with a net shape, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a body comprising a fiber reinforcement material;

depositing on a surface of the body a coating comprising a carbonaceous binder and a slurry containing a ceramic particulate material;

curing the carbonaceous binder to render the coating machinable; and

then

machining the coating to approximately produce the net shape of the article.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous binder is at least one furanic resin.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous binder comprises furfuryl alcohol.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous binder consists of furfuryl alcohol.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic particulate material of the coating comprises silicon carbide particulate.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fiber reinforcement material and the ceramic particulate material of the coating contain silicon carbide.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the body further comprises a coating on the fiber reinforcement material.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the coating on the fiber reinforcement material comprises a ceramic material.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the ceramic material of the coating on the fiber reinforcement material and the ceramic particulate material of the coating deposited on the surface of the body have the same chemical composition.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the ceramic material of the coating on the fiber reinforcement material and the ceramic particulate material of the coating deposited on the surface of the body contain silicon carbide.

11. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

after the machining step, melt infiltrating the body with a melt infiltration material while the coating contacts and conforms to a die surface; and

reacting the melt infiltration material to form a ceramic matrix within a composite substrate containing the fiber reinforcement material, the coating forms a ceramic coating bonded to the composite substrate to form the article, and the ceramic coating defines the external surface substantially having the net shape.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the melt infiltration material comprises molten silicon and the reacting step reacts at least a portion of the molten silicon to silicon carbide as the ceramic matrix.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the melt infiltrating step further comprises melt infiltrating the coating with the molten silicon, and the molten silicon that melt infiltrates the coating is reacted to form silicon carbide during the reacting step.

14. The method according to claim 1, the method further comprising the steps of:

prior to depositing the coating on the surface of the body, infiltrating the body with a suspension containing a carbon-containing infiltrant; and

after machining the coating, melt infiltrating the body to react the carbon-containing infiltrant and form a ceramic matrix within a composite substrate containing the fiber reinforcement material, the coating forming a ceramic coating bonded to the composite substrate to form the article, and the ceramic coating defining the external surface substantially having the net shape.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the suspension is a slurry containing particulate silicon carbide and the ceramic matrix formed therefrom comprises silicon carbide.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fiber reinforcement material is a continuous fiber material comprising at least two transverse sets of uniaxially-aligned tows.

17. A method of producing a ceramic matrix composite article having an exterior surface with a net shape, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a preform comprising a silicon carbide-containing continuous fiber reinforcement material;

depositing on a surface of the preform a coating comprising a furanic resin binder and a slurry containing particulate silicon carbide;

curing the furanic resin binder to render the coating machinable;

machining the coating to approximately produce the net shape of the article;

placing the preform in a tool and melt infiltrating the preform with molten silicon while the coating contacts and conforms to a surface of the tool; and

reacting the molten silicon to form a silicon carbide-containing matrix within a composite substrate containing the fiber reinforcement material, the coating forming a ceramic coating bonded to the composite substrate to form the article, and the ceramic coating defining the external surface substantially having the net shape.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the furanic resin binder comprises furfuryl alcohol.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising the step of providing the preform with a carbon-containing material that is reacted during the reacting step to participate in formation of the silicon carbide-containing matrix.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the melt infiltrating step further comprises melt infiltrating the coating with the molten silicon, and the molten silicon that melt infiltrates the coating is reacted to form silicon carbide during the reacting step.