General Electric Company

Michael Lee Millard

Andrew Szweda

Michael G Harrison

Horace Richardson, Jr

Robert G Weber

Joseph Anthony Corrado

Douglas Melton Carper

A composition is for use with fabricating a ceramic composite stiffening member that defines a T-section. The stiffening member includes a web portion, at least one flange portion, a radius region disposed between the web portion and the at least one flange portion, and a skin member that is secured to the at least one flange portion and the radius region. The composition is a pliable mixture of refractory particles, plasticizers, silica-yielding polymers, and solvents that is applied along the radius region.

Composition and method for use with ceramic matrix composite T-sections

The present invention is an integral composite structural (ICS) material comprising an open metal structure having at least one external side and internal surfaces defining a plurality of open shapes with a ceramic matrix composite bonded to at least one external side and the surfaces of at least a substantial portion of the plurality of open shapes and occupying at least a substantial portion of the plurality of open shapes. The open metal structure, independent of the ceramic matrix composite, has a total metal volume percent in the range of about 10% to about 90%, with no dimension of any open shape being greater than about &#xbe; inch. The ceramic matrix layer covers a substantial portion of at least one external side of the open metal structure. At least one external side of the metal portion of the ICS material is bonded with a ceramic matrix composite such that the ceramic layer occupies at least a significant portion of the open pores of the metal portion and is bonded to a significant portion of at least one external side of the metal element. The present invention is also a method of manufacturing such an ICS material.

Method for fabricating integral composite structural material

Integral composite structural material

A ceramic matrix composite (CMC) structure, and method of forming same, the structure having internal air flow channels and cooling holes created by the process of sewing or stitching a fugitive fiber or thread into plies of ceramic cloth, preferably prior to consolidation of the ceramic cloth with a CMC slurry, followed by heating to convert the slurry material to a hardened ceramic component part of a predetermined shape. Upon heating the infiltrated and consolidated ceramic cloth to about between 1100 and 2100 degrees Fahrenheit, such as by hot pressing the structure containing the fugitive fibers therein, the fugitive fibers disintegrate, leaving channels and cooling holes wherever the stitched fugitive fiber or thread was previously located. Thus, the channels and cooling holes flow between plies as well as across the surface of the top and bottom plies.

Method of making porous ceramic matrix composites

Methods are provided for producing a ceramic matrix composite by slurry infiltration. The methods involve placing a desized ceramic cloth lay-up into a non-ceramic cloth bag, sealing the bag to form a bagged ceramic preform, infiltrating the bagged ceramic preform with a ceramic-containing slurry, and sintering the preform to convert the slurry to a ceramic while decomposing the non-ceramic bag. The methods of the present invention maximize slurry infiltration of the ceramic cloth tow bundle while minimizing damage to the ceramic cloth.

Methods of producing a ceramic matrix composite

An inseparable assembly includes a body having a plurality of plies stacked in face to face relation and bonded together, wherein each of the plurality of plies includes a ceramic matrix composite material having a first predetermined ductility. The assembly further includes a reinforcement including a metallic wire mesh bonded to said body so that at least a portion of the metallic wire mesh is positioned between two adjacent plies in the body. The metallic wire mesh has a second predetermined ductility greater than the first ductility.

Method and apparatus for arresting a crack within a body

A method for making an environmentally stable, fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite member includes use as a bonding agent of a ceramic precursor which transforms upon heating to a ceramic phase. The ceramic phase bonds together discontinuous material comprising ceramic particles, and reinforcing fibers at a relatively low processing temperature.

Fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite member and method for making

Fibert reinforced ceramic matrix composite member

A method of making a consolidated, reinforced composite member from a matrix mixture including a consolidation shrinkable discontinuous ceramic material, for example ceramic particles, and a selected amount of a particulate inorganic filler which will exhibit net expansion relative to the discontinuous material, the mixture being interspersed about reinforcing fibers. Subsequent consolidation of a preform of such materials can be conducted substantially at ambient pressure, without application of additional pressure, to provide an improved reinforced composite article.

Consolidated member and method and preform for making

An oxide barrier coating for a reinforcing fiber is provided with a preselected microstructure and thickness through control of the concentration of metal salt in heat decomposable form as a precursor of metal oxide. In one form, the salt is a metal oxyhalide salt such as zirconium oxyhalide or hafnium oxyhalide. Fibers, such as ones of alumina, aluminasilicate or silicon carbide, having the coating of the invention are especially useful as reinforcing fibers for reinforced ceramic matrix composites.

Coated reinforcing fiber and method for applying an oxide barrier coating

An oxide barrier coating for reinforcing fiber is provided with a preselected microstructure and thickness through control of the concentration of metal salt in heat decomposable form as a precursor of metal oxide. In one form, the salt is a metal oxyhalide salt such as zirconium oxyhalide or halfnium oxyhalide. Fibers, such as ones of alumina, aluminasilicate or silicon carbide, having the coating of the invention are especially useful as reinforcing fibers for reinforced ceramic matrix composites.

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Cincinnati, OH, United States of America

Michael Lee Millard