METHOD FOR FABRICATING A CERAMIC MATERIAL

• US 20130224471A1
• Filed: 04/09/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rtx Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Technologies Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Sheedy, Paul, Schmidt, Wayde R., Kashyap, Tania Bhatia
• Granted Patent: US 9,701,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/312.6
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3891 Silicides, e.g. molybdenum disilicide, iron silicide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/40 Metallic constituents or additives not added as binding phase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/404 Refractory metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/408 Noble metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/421 Boron
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/48 Organic compounds becoming part of a ceramic after heat treatment, e.g. carbonising phenol resins
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/483 Si-containing organic compounds, e.g. silicone resins, (poly)silanes, (poly)siloxanes or (poly)silazanes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/522 Oxidic
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5244 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5248 Carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5252 having a specific pre-form
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5268 Orientation of the fibers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/616 Liquid infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6584 at an oxygen percentage below that of air
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/80 Phases present in the sintered or melt-cast ceramic products other than the main phase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/9607 Thermal properties, e.g. thermal expansion coefficient
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/571 obtained from Si-containing polymer precursors or organosilicon monomers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/589 obtained from Si-containing polymer precursors or organosilicon monomers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6269 Curing of mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/62842 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/62844 : Coating fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/76 : Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/80 : Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/81 : Coating or impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/85 : with inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 41/88 : Metals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249967 : Inorganic matrix in void-containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249969 : Of silicon-containing material [e.g., glass, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24997 : Of metal-containing material

Abstract

A method for fabricating a ceramic material includes providing a mobilized filler material capable of infiltrating a porous ceramic matrix composite. The mobilized filler material includes at least one of a ceramic material and a free metal. The mobilized filler material is infiltrated into pores of the porous ceramic matrix composite. The mobilized filler material is then immobilized within the pores of the porous ceramic matrix composite.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a ceramic material, the method comprising:

providing a mobilized filler material capable of infiltrating a porous ceramic matrix composite, the mobilized filler material including at least one of a ceramic material and a free metal;

infiltrating the mobilized filler material into pores of the porous ceramic matrix composite; and

immobilizing the mobilized filler material within the pores of the porous ceramic matrix composite.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobilized filler material is in a preceramic polymer carrier material.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobilized filler material is a heated melt.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobilized filler is the free metal, and the free metal is silicon.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobilized filler is the free metal, and the free metal is selected from the group consisting of boron, titanium, vanadium, chromium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium and combinations thereof.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobilized filler material is the ceramic material.

7. A method for fabricating a ceramic material, the method comprising:

infiltrating a surface zone of a porous ceramic matrix composite with a mobilized glaze material such that pores in the surface zone of the porous ceramic matrix composite, exclusive of an interior of the porous ceramic matrix composite, include the mobilized glaze material and there is a layer of the mobilized glaze material on an exterior side of the porous ceramic matrix composite; and

immobilizing the mobilized glaze material, the immobilized glaze material sealing the surface zone and providing an exterior glaze layer on the ceramic matrix composite.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, including, prior to the infiltrating, applying the glaze material, mobilized or prior to mobilizing, onto one or more of the exterior sides of the porous ceramic matrix composite.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, including, prior to the infiltrating, applying the mobilized glaze material onto one or more of the exterior sides of the porous ceramic matrix composite, followed by infiltrating the mobilized glaze material into the surface zone.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, including, prior to the infiltrating, applying the glaze material, prior to mobilizing, onto one or more of the exterior sides of the porous ceramic matrix composite, followed by mobilizing the glaze material and then infiltrating the mobilized glaze material into the surface zone.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the mobilized glaze material is in a preceramic polymer carrier material and the mobilized glaze is a free metal in the preceramic polymer carrier material, and the free metal is silicon.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the mobilized glaze material is a heated melt.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the mobilized glaze is a free metal, and the free metal is silicon.

14. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the mobilized glaze is a free metal, and the free metal is selected from the group consisting of boron, titanium, vanadium, chromium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium and combinations thereof.

15. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the mobilized glaze material is a ceramic material.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the ceramic material is at least partially amorphous.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the ceramic material includes a vitreous material.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the ceramic material is a silicate-based glass or glass-ceramic, including an element selected from the group consisting of boron, barium, calcium, magnesium, lithium, sodium, potassium, aluminum, phosphorus, strontium, zinc, the rare earth metals (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, including Sc, Y, and Hf), and combinations thereof.

19. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the infiltrating of the surface zone is a final iteration in a polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) process, the PIP process including iteratively infiltrating a preceramic polymer into a porous reinforcement structure, curing the infiltrated preceramic polymer and then pyrolyzing the infiltrated preceramic polymer, the preceramic polymer being free of the mobilized glaze material in all but the final iteration of the PIP process.

20. A ceramic article comprising:

a ceramic matrix composite including a porous reinforcement structure and a ceramic matrix within pores of the porous reinforcement structure, the ceramic matrix composite including a surface zone; and

a glaze material within pores of the surface zone and on an exterior side of the surface zone as an exterior glaze layer on the ceramic matrix composite.

21. The ceramic article as recited in claim 20, wherein the glaze material is a free metal, and the free metal is silicon.

22. The ceramic component as recited in claim 20, wherein the glaze material is a free metal, and the free metal is selected from the group consisting of boron, titanium, vanadium, chromium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, ruthenium, rhodium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium and combinations thereof.

23. The ceramic article as recited in claim 20, wherein the glaze material is a ceramic material.

24. The ceramic article as recited in claim 20, wherein the glaze material is a Borosilicate glass (BSG) of composition, by weight, Boron Oxide, B₂O₃, 10-30%;

Aluminum Oxide, Al₂O₃, 0-4%;

Sodium Oxide, Na₂O, 0-8%; and

Silicon Dioxide, SiO₂, 65-85%.

25. The ceramic article as recited in claim 20, wherein the glaze material is a Barium Magnesium Alumino Silicate (BMAS) glass of composition, by weight, Barium Oxide, BaO, 12-16%;

Magnesium Oxide, MgO, 5-10%;

Boron Oxide, B₂O₃, 0-4%;

Aluminum Oxide, Al₂O₃, 25-35%; and

Silicon Dioxide, SiO₂, 45-55%.