A method of producing or repairing a fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composite comprises delivering a powder composition comprising SiC particles and chopped coated SiC fibers into or onto a powder receptacle configured for composite fabrication or repair. After delivering the powder composition into or onto the powder receptacle, the SiC particles are densified to form a SiC matrix reinforced with the chopped coated SiC fibers, thereby producing or repairing a fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composite.

The invention concerns a method for surface treatment of a ceramic material in powder form, wherein said method comprising the step of providing a powder formed of a plurality of particles of the ceramic material to be treated, and wherein said ceramic powder particles are subjected to an ion implantation process by directing towards an external surface of said particles a beam of singly or multiply charged ions produced by a charge of singly or multiply charged ions, for example of the electron cyclotron resonance ECR type, wherein said particles have a generally polyhedral shape.

The invention also concerns a material in powder form, formed of a plurality of particles having a ceramic external layer and a ceramic core, wherein said particles have a generally polyhedral shape.

A method of forming a composite article may include impregnating an inorganic fiber porous preform with a first slurry composition. The slurry composition includes particles, a solvent, and a pre-gellant material. Gelling of the pre-gellant material in the slurry composition is initiated to substantially immobilize the particles and yield a gelled article. The method also includes impregnating the gelled article with a second solution that includes a high char-yielding component, and pyrolyzing the high char-yielding component to yield carbon and form a green composite article. The green composite article is then infiltrated with a molten metal or alloy infiltrant to form the composite article. The molten infiltrant reacts with carbon, and the final composite article may include less residual metal or alloy than a composite article formed without using the second solution.

Disclosed is a method of making high temperature fiber including chemically bonding high temperature material to a fiber template at a first temperature to form a precursor fiber and processing the precursor fiber at a second temperature to form the high temperature fiber. The first temperature does not equal the second temperature. Also disclosed are high temperature fibers made by the method.

Ceramic composite materials that are reinforced with carbide fibers can exhibit ultra-high temperature resistance. For example, such materials may exhibit very low creep at temperatures of up to 2700 F. (1480 C.). The present composites are specifically engineered to exhibit matched thermodynamically stable crystalline phases between the materials included within the composite. In other words, the reinforcing fibers, a debonding interface layer disposed over the reinforcing fibers, and the matrix material of the composite may all be of the same crystalline structural phase (all hexagonal), for increased compatibility and improved properties. Such composite materials may be used in numerous applications.

A method of forming a composite article may include impregnating an inorganic fiber porous preform with a first slurry composition. The slurry composition includes particles, a solvent, and a pre-gellant material. Gelling of the pre-gellant material in the slurry composition is initiated to substantially immobilize the particles and yield a gelled article. The method also includes impregnating the gelled article with a second solution that includes a high char-yielding component, and pyrolyzing the high char-yielding component to yield carbon and form a green composite article. The green composite article is then infiltrated with a molten metal or alloy infiltrant to form the composite article. The molten infiltrant reacts with carbon, and the final composite article may include less residual metal or alloy than a composite article formed without using the second solution.

A method and apparatus for forming a plurality of fibers from (e.g., CVD) precursors, including a reactor adapted to grow a plurality of individual fibers; and a plurality of independently controllable lasers, each laser of the plurality of lasers growing a respective fiber. A high performance fiber (HPF) structure, including a plurality of fibers arranged in the structure; a matrix disposed between the fibers; wherein a multilayer coating is provided along the surfaces of at least some of the fibers with an inner layer region having a sheet-like strength; and an outer layer region, having a particle-like strength, such that any cracks propagating toward the outer layer from the matrix propagate along the outer layer and back into the matrix, thereby preventing the cracks from approaching the fibers. A method of forming an interphase in a ceramic matrix composite material having a plurality of SiC fibers, which maximizes toughness by minimizing fiber to fiber bridging, including arranging a plurality of SiC fibers into a preform; selectively removing (e.g., etching) silicon out of the surface of the fibers resulting in a porous carbon layer on the fibers; and replacing the porous carbon layer with an interphase layer (e.g., Boron Nitride), which coats the fibers to thereby minimize fiber to fiber bridging in the preform.

Methods for forming a ceramic matrix composite (CMC) are generally provided. The method may include melt infiltrating a silicon mixture into a ceramic matrix composite preform, with the silicon mixture including SiGa, SiIn, or a mixture thereof. The silicon mixture may include silicon metal in combination with SiGa, SiIn, or the mixture thereof. Additionally, the silicon mixture may further include B within the SiGa, SiIn, or the mixture thereof (e.g., in the form of SiBGa, SiBIn, or a mixture thereof).

A titanium oxide-based supercapacitor electrode material and a method of manufacturing same. A reactive substance of the titanium oxide-based supercapacitor electrode material is a conductive titanium oxide. The conductive titanium oxide is a sub-stoichiometric titanium oxide, reduced titanium dioxide, or doped reduced titanium dioxide obtained by further doping an element in reduced titanium dioxide. The titanium oxide-based supercapacitor electrode material has a carrier concentration greater than 10.sup.18 cm.sup.3, and the titanium oxide-based supercapacitor electrode material has a specific capacitance 20 F/g to 1,740 F/g at a charge/discharge current of 1 A/g.

A method for treating at least one silicon carbide fibre includes a surface layer including carbon and/or a silicon oxycarbide, the treatment including at least removing the surface layer from the fibre by placing in contact with an ammonia phase in the supercritical state.