General Electric Company

Gregory Scot Corman

Krishan Lal Luthra

Daniel Gene Dunn

Jared Hogg Weaver

Anthony John Dean

Milivoj Konstantin Brun

Mark Stewart Schroder

James Anthony Ruud

James Scott Vartuli

Kevin Leon Bruce

Badri Narayan Ramamurthi

Henry Charles McGuigan

Pierre-Andre Bui

Christopher Grace

Bharat S Bagepalli

Paul Stephen DiMascio

James Dale Steibel

Herbert Chidsey Roberts, Iii

Randall Richard Good

David Joseph Mitchell

Andrew Szweda

Massoud Mirdamadi

Robert C Schikner

Curtis Alan Johnson

Ronald Ralph Cairo

Leonardo Tognarelli

Jacob John Kittleson

Toby George Darkins, Jr

Thomas Raymond Farrell

Edward Lee McGrath

Anteneh Kebbede

James Murray

Kenneth Lorenzo Parks

Chris Basil Jiomacas

Jerome Geoffrey Magnant

Mario Pecchioli

Ronald Phillip Nimmer

Milivoj Konstantine Brun

According to a method set forth herein a plurality of preform plies having first and second preform plies can be associated together to define a preform. The preform can be subject to chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) processing to define a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) structure.

Ceramic matrix composite structures with controlled microstructures fabricated using chemical vapor infiltration (CVI)

Provided is a method including obtaining ceramic matrix composite (CMC) with a first matrix portion including a silicon carbide and silicon phase dispersed therewithin, disposing a coating thereupon to form a sealed part, and forming thereupon another segment comprising a CMC, which may be another matrix portion including a silicon carbide and a silicon phase dispersed within therewithin. Also provided is a gas turbine component with a CMC segment including a matrix portion including a silicon carbide and a silicon phase dispersed therewithin, a sealing layer including silicon carbide enclosing the first segment, and a second segment on the sealing layer, wherein the second segment includes a melt-infiltrated CMC having a matrix portion including a silicon carbide and a silicon phase dispersed therewithin.

Seal coats to prevent silicon loss during re-melt infiltration of Si containing composites

A ceramic matrix composite article includes a melt infiltration ceramic matrix composite substrate comprising a ceramic fiber reinforcement material in a ceramic matrix material having a free silicon proportion, and a chemical vapor infiltration ceramic matrix composite outer layer comprising a ceramic fiber reinforcement material in a ceramic matrix material having essentially no free silicon proportion disposed on an outer surface of at least a portion of the substrate.

Ceramic matrix composite articles and methods for forming same

The present disclosure relates to ceramic matrix composites made by chemical vapor infiltration, methods of making the ceramic matrix composites, and ceramic matrix composite turbine components for use in a hot gas pathway. A method of fabricating a ceramic matrix composite is provided that can include the steps of: (i) forming a plurality of holes in a ceramic matrix composite preform of desired shape; and (ii) densifying the preform by a chemical vapor infiltration process to form a part or most of the matrix. A ceramic matrix composite is also provided that can be used in hot combustion gases made according to the aforementioned ceramic matrix composite fabrication method described herein.

Ceramic matrix composites made by chemical vapor infiltration and methods of manufacture thereof

Ceramic matrix composite articles include, for example, a plurality of unidirectional arrays of fiber tows in a matrix having a monomodal pore size distribution, and a fiber volume fraction between about 15 percent and about 35 percent. The articles may be formed by, for example, providing a shaped preform comprising a prepreg tape layup of unidirectional arrays of fiber tows, a matrix precursor, and a pore former, curing the shaped preform to pyrolyze the matrix precursor and burnout the pore former so that the shaped preform comprises the unidirectional arrays of fiber tows and a porous matrix having a monomodal pore size distribution, and subjecting the cured shaped preform to chemical vapor infiltration to densify the porous matrix so that the ceramic matrix composite article has a fiber volume fraction between about 15 percent and about 35 percent.

Ceramic matrix composites having monomodal pore size distribution and low fiber volume fraction

A preform CMC article is disclosed comprising an interior ply structure having at least one interior CMC ply including at least one longitudinal CMC ply disposed along the article length, an exterior shell ply forming an article surface and having at least one exterior CMC ply substantially surrounding the interior ply structure, and at least one wicking portion in which the interior ply structure penetrates the exterior ply shell with an exposed edge of the longitudinal CMC ply disposed at the article surface. A CMC article is disclosed including the interior ply structure and the exterior ply shell, wherein the longitudinal CMC ply includes an exposed edge disposed at the surface of the CMC article. A method for forming the CMC article is disclosed including wicking a melt infiltration agent into the article through the wicking portion into the interior ply structure along the longitudinal CMC ply.

Preform CMC article, CMC article, and method for forming CMC article

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 depositing a coating on the ceramic fibers of the at least one frame via a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The method may also include impregnating the coated ceramic fibers with a slurry including a ceramic matrix precursor composition to form at least one CMC prepreg, such as a prepreg tape. The ceramic fibers may be substantially SiC fibers, for example.

Apparatus and methods for processing ceramic fiber

A method for forming a ceramic matrix composite article includes forming by melt infiltration a ceramic matrix composite substrate inducing a ceramic fiber reinforcement material in a ceramic matrix material having a free silicon proportion and forming by chemical vapor infiltration a ceramic matrix composite outer layer including a ceramic fiber reinforcement material in a ceramic matrix material having no free silicon proportion disposed on at least a portion of the substrate.

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.

Methods of processing ceramic fiber

A method can include applying a mask to a CMC structure, and subjecting the structure having an applied mask to a process for repair. In one embodiment, the applying a mask to a CMC structure can include applying a mask to a feature of a CMC structure.

Method to protect features during repair cycle

A method of repairing matrix microcracks in MI-CMC components includes heating 'free' silicon phase present within the cracked matrix portion of the component to a temperature above the melting point of the silicon phase. During heating of the component an additional source of silicon phase is supplied to the component. The atmosphere about the component is controlled during the heating of the component. The MI-CMC component is cooled below the melting point of the silicon phase to cool and solidify the silicon phase that has migrated into the microcracks to thereby bond the crack faces together.

Methods of repairing matrix cracks in melt infiltrated ceramic matrix composites

Growing community of inventors

Ballston Lake, NY, United States of America

Gregory Scot Corman