Apparatus for and method of producing high density fiber reinforced composite material

• US 5,202,158 A
• Filed: 04/22/1991
• Issued: 04/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Wakamatsu, Satoshi, Kawase, Makoto, Iwata, Kouichi, Adschiri, Tadafumi, Sakagami, Seigou
• Primary Examiner(s): BUEKER, RICHARD R
• Application Number:
  US07/689,306
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 427/213, 427/255.6, 427/255.1, 427/255.2, 427/185, 118/715, 118/719, 118/725, 118/728
• US Class Current: 427/185
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/524 Non-oxidic, e.g. borides, carbides, silicides or nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5244 Silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5248 Carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/5276 Whiskers, spindles, needles or pins
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/608 Green bodies or pre-forms with well-defined density
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/614 Gas infiltration of green bodies or pre-forms
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6567 Treatment time
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/117 Composites
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/14 based on silica
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/5611 based on titanium carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/563 based on boron carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/565 based on silicon carbide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/58014 based on titanium nitrides, e.g. TiAlON
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/581 based on aluminium nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/584 based on silicon nitride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/80 Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/83 Carbon fibres in a carbon matrix
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/442 using fluidised bed process
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 427/10 Chemical vapor infiltration, i.e. CVI

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of producing a high density fiber reinforced composite material operate for lowering the porosity of a porous fiber reinforced composite material. A large number of particles arranged in a reaction tube are pushed up by the pressure of gases flowing from a gas inlet port toward a gas outlet port to enter floating states and to collide with the porous fiber reinforced composite material which is fixed in the reaction tube. In this state, matricies are formed in pores of the porous fiber reinforced composite material through chemical vapor infiltration. The large number of floating particles prevent an adhesion between the surface of the porous fiber reinforced composite material and blocking with soot, while preventing the pores from blocking with soot.

Claims

1. An apparatus for producing a high density fiber reinforced composite material for lowering porosity of a porous fiber reinforced composite material by forming matricies in pores of said porous fiber reinforced composite material through chemical vapor infiltration, said apparatus comprising:

a reaction tube having a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port;

gas supply means for supplying a reactive gas for serving as a raw material for said matricies and a carrier gas into said reaction tube through said gas inlet port;

heating means for heating said reaction tube;

a large number of particles arranged in said reaction tube and pushed up by the pressure of said gases flowing from said gas inlet port toward said gas outlet port; and

holding means for holding said porous fiber reinforced composite material in a floating region of said particles in said reaction tube,

wherein said particles are adapted to strike against a surface of the porous fiber reinforced composite material and thereby remove soot from said surface.

2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said particles are prepared from ceramic fine powder of 100 to 200 μ

m in particle diameter.

3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a fixed member being fixed in said reaction tube for allowing passage of said gases; and

a large number of balls arranged on said fixed member for supporting said large number of particles from below.

4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said porous fiber reinforced composite material contains at least one material selected from a group of whiskers, short fibers, paper, felt, long fibers, nonwoven fabric, two dimensional woven fabric and three dimensional woven fabric, as reinforcing fiber.

5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said porous fiber reinforced composite material contains at least one material selected from a group of SiC, Si₃ N₄, B, and carbon, as reinforcing fiber.

6. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein

said porous fiber reinforced composite material contains at least one element selected from a group of SiC, Si₃ N₄, SiO₂, TiC, Al₂ O₃, TiN, BN and carbon, as a matrix.

7. A method of producing a high density fiber reinforced composite material for lowering porosity of a porous fiber reinforced composite material by forming matricies in pores of said porous fiber reinforced composite material through chemical vapor infiltration, said method comprising the steps of:

arranging a porous fiber reinforced composite material in a reaction tube having a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port;

arranging a large number of particles in said reaction tube;

introducing a reaction gas for serving as a raw material for said matricies and a carrier gas into said reaction rube through said gas inlet port;

pushing up said large number of particles by the pressure of said gases flowing from said gas inlet port toward said gas outlet port for bringing the same into floating states; and

forming matricies in pores of said porous fiber reinforced composite material while removing soot by striking said floating particles against said porous fiber reinforced composite material.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said particles are prepared from ceramic fine powder of 100 to 200 μ

m in particle diameter.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein

said porous fiber reinforced composite material contains at least one material selected from a group of whiskers, short fibers, paper, felt, long fibers, nonwoven fabric, two dimensional woven fabric and three dimensional woven fabric, as reinforcing fiber.

10. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein

said porous fiber reinforced composite material contains at least one material selected from a group of SiC, Si₃ N₄, B, and carbon, as reinforcing fiber.

11. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein

said porous fiber reinforced composite material contains at least one element selected from a group of SiC, Si₃ N₄, SiO₂, TiC, Al₂ O₃, B₄ C, TiN, BN and carbon, as a matrix.