Process Chain Development for the Fabrication of Three-Dimensional Braided Oxide Ceramic Matrix Composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Ceramic Engineering
• Composite Materials

Background:

• Porous oxide fiber composites (OFCs) typically exhibit low interlaminar shear strength (ILSS).
• Three-dimensional (3D) fiber reinforcement architectures can enhance the mechanical properties of composites.
• Improving the processing of brittle ceramic fibers is crucial for advanced composite fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a modified braiding process for producing 3D reinforced oxide fiber composites.
• To enhance the interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) of porous OFCs.
• To investigate the influence of manufacturing processes on macropore content and mechanical properties.

Main Methods:

• Modification of the braiding process chain for brittle oxide ceramic fibers.
• Development and testing of a novel filament-protecting bobbin.
• Production and testing of a 3D reinforced OFC demonstrator.
• Impregnation using Al2O3-ZrO2 slurry via prepreg or vacuum-assisted processes, followed by sintering.

Main Results:

• The developed braiding process successfully produced 3D reinforced OFC.
• Three-dimensional braid-reinforced OFCs exhibited a 64-95% increase in ILSS compared to 2D reinforced samples.
• The study investigated the correlation between manufacturing process, macropore content, and mechanical performance.

Conclusions:

• A modified braiding process significantly enhances the ILSS of oxide fiber composites.
• 3D braiding is a viable strategy to overcome the low ILSS weakness in porous OFCs.
• Further investigation into manufacturing process influence on composite properties is warranted.