Reactive Melt Infiltration of Boron Containing Fiber Reinforced Preforms Forming a ZrB ₂ Matrix

Influence of zirconium-based alloys on manufacturing and mechanical properties of ultra high temperature ceramic matrix composites

“…Different alloy compositions do influence contact angles, viscosity, phases forming and melting temperature. The three-step process, as described in the previous work [8,9], for UHTCMCs manufactured by RMI is shown in Figure 1. Compared to the previous work, an additional B O infiltration of phenolic-based preforms is introduced.…”

“…Melt infiltration is performed as described by Kütemeyer et al. [8,9], heating melt and samples separate from each other in order to control infiltration temperature, ranging from 1500 to 1900 C. As shown in the previous work, TiB is a suitable protection for carbon fibres during the RMI process. Oxidation resistance of TiB at ultra high temperatures is, however, inferior compared to ZrB [3,14,15].…”

“…In recent years, the focus of UHTC development has concentrated on including fibre reinforcement to increase their damage tolerance. Methods used to manufacture these ultra high temperature ceramic matrix composites (UHTCMCs) are sintering [6], chemical vapour infiltration [4,7] and reactive melt infiltration (RMI) [8,9]. The Focus of this study will be the investigation of melt and preform–matrix interactions occurring during the RMI process, several of which occur at the same time.…”