Rtx Corporation

Raytheon Technologies Corporation

Sarah A Frith

Olivier H Sudre

Brendan M Lenz

Imelda P Smyth

Ying She

John E Holowczak

Kathryn S Read

Mary Colby

Daniel L Becerra

A method of manufacturing ceramic matrix composites includes producing chemical vapor deposition functionalized ceramic particles before injecting the functionalized ceramic particles into the CMC fabric. The functionalized ceramic particles are mixed with a binder solution and then dispensed into voids present between adjacent tows of the CMC fabric. Injecting the particles in the center of the voids reduces the size and volume fraction of the voids/defects, improving the homogeneity of surface texture, homogeneity of microstructure, and part model shape conformity.

CVD functionalized particles for CMC applications

A method of fabricating a coating includes providing a ceramic matrix composite that includes SiC fibers disposed in a SiC matrix, depositing a base slurry on the ceramic matrix composite, wherein the base slurry contains powders of a metal oxide, at least one of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, or free silicon, and barium-magnesium-aluminosilicate in a first carrier fluid, drying the deposited base slurry to produce a base green layer, depositing a transition slurry on the base green layer, wherein the transition slurry contains powders of a metal oxide, at least one of silicon carbide, silicon nitride, or free silicon, at least one of zirconium carbide, zirconium nitride, or zirconium oxide, and barium-magnesium-aluminosilicate in a second carrier fluid, drying the deposited transition slurry to produce a transition green layer, and forming a consolidated coating on the ceramic matrix composite by heating the base green layer and the at least one transition green layer to cause chemical reactions that convert the powders to metal-silicon-oxygen rich phase and metal-zirconium-oxygen rich phase.

Method for fabricating an environmental barrier coating on a ceramic matrix composite

A method of spreading fiber tows includes applying a coupling medium to a surface of a fibrous structure, positioning an ultrasonic probe adjacent to the surface of a fibrous structure, such that a tip of the ultrasonic probe is in contact with the coupling medium, moving at least one of the ultrasonic probe and the fabric structure relative to the other of the ultrasonic probe and the fibrous structure according to a first pattern, and imparting ultrasonic vibration with the ultrasonic probe to the surface of the fibrous structure while moving the ultrasonic probe along the surface of the fibrous structure. Imparting ultrasonic vibration to the surface of the fibrous structure spreads tows of the fibrous structure.

Fabric structure control using ultrasonic probe

A method of preparing a woven fabric material for use in a ceramic matrix composite includes passing a desized woven fabric tape having a first inter-filament spacing through a dispersal module configured to transform the desized woven fabric tape into a dispersed woven fabric tape having a second inter-filament spacing greater than the first inter-filament spacing. The dispersal module includes a first charging element with a charged surface and disposed to apply an electric charge to the desized woven fabric tape. The method further includes applying a polymer binder to the dispersed woven fabric tape to create a stabilized woven fabric tape having the second inter-filament spacing.

Growing community of inventors

Jupiter, FL, United States of America

Sarah A Frith