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Microwave Heated Chemical Vapor Infiltration: Densification Mechanism of SiC f /SiC Composites
Author(s) -
Jaglin David,
Binner Jon,
Vaidhyanathan Bala,
Prentice Calvin,
Shatwell Bob,
Grant David
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2006.01127.x
Subject(s) - chemical vapor infiltration , materials science , composite material , silicon carbide , porosity , scanning electron microscope , microwave , composite number , thermal conductivity , infiltration (hvac) , physics , quantum mechanics
Silicon carbide fiber‐reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites (SiC f /SiC) have been produced using microwave heated chemical vapor infiltration. Preferential densification of the composite from the inside out was clearly observed. Although an average relative density of only 55% was achieved in 24 h, representative of an ∼26% increase over the initial fiber vol%, the center of the preform densified to 73% of the theoretical. The densification mechanisms were investigated using X‐ray absorptiometry and scanning electron microscopy. The initial inverse temperature profile obtained, which was found to result in the efficient filling of the intratow porosity, although not the intertow porosity, flattened out after approximately 6 h as the densification front moved outward toward the edges. Although not investigated directly, the evidence suggested that this was caused by changes in both the thermal conductivity and microwave absorption characteristics as the samples densified.