ABSTRACT
In the development of monofilaments, a good understanding of the process/property relationships is essential. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a powerful tool but too slow and expensive to be used routinely. Alternative, cheaper techniques have therefore been investigated. The microstructures of three SiC monofilaments (DERA Sigma SM1140+, Textron SCS-6 and Ultra-SCS) and some experimental samples were studied using a combination of TEM, electron microprobe analysis, Raman microprobe analysis, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that the Raman technique was complementary to TEM and easily identified the presence of amorphous C and Si. These could not be seen by electron or X-ray diffraction techniques. DSC indicated the presence of free Si in the DERA Sigma SM1140+ monofilament by a distinctive peak at approximately 1400 degrees C. TGA showed the reaction of monofilament components with gaseous species. The Textron SCS-6 and Ultra species lost weight as C was oxidized to gaseous CO. By contrast, the Sigma monofilament gained weight from formation of SiO2 from the free Si. The separations of the transverse optical phonon peaks in the Raman spectra were correlated with the density of stacking faults in the SiC crystallites. This was similar in all monofilaments. Analysis of the polarization of the Raman scattering gave information on the orientation of crystallites. The crystallites in SM1140+ and SCS-6 were orientated predominantly with the <111> parallel to the radius. Preliminary interpretation of the polarized Raman scattering from Ultra-SCS indicated more than one orientation of crystallite. One possibility was a mixture of <111> and <110> directions parallel to the radius.
ABSTRACT
Conventional routes to producing ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) require the use of high temperatures to sinter the individual ceramic particles of the matrix together. Sintering temperatures are typically much higher than the upper temperature limits of the fibres. This paper details preliminary work carried out on producing a CMC via chemical vapour infiltration (CVI), a process that involves lower processing temperatures, thus avoiding fibre degradation. The CVI process has been modified and supplemented in an attempt to reduce the CVI process time and to lower the cost of this typically expensive process. To this end microwave-enhanced CVI (MECVI) has been chosen, along with two alternative pre-infiltration steps: electrophoretic infiltration and vacuum bagging. The system under investigation is based on silicon carbide fibres within a silicon carbide matrix (SiCf/SiC). The results demonstrate that both approaches result in an enhanced initial density and a consequent significant reduction in the time required for the MECVI processing step. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used as a non-destructive, density evaluation technique. Initial results indicate that the presence of the SiC powder in the pre-form changes the deposition profile during the MECVI process.
