Processing of Polymeric Precursor, Ceramic Matrix Composites

Abstract

AbstractCeramic matrix composites have been produced by utilizing polymer pyrolysis as the processing technique. The precursor, polyvinylsilane, is a viscous, thermosetting polymer which yields a predominantly SiC ceramic material when pyrolyzed. This organometallic polymer in combination with SiC fibers and SiC whiskers was used to fabricate ceramic matrix composites. One of the major problems with a brittle/brittle composite system in which strong coupling exist between the fibers and matrix is the characteristic catastrophic failure that occurs once the strain to failure of one of the constituents is exceeded. This brittle behavior can be altered by the application of a suitable barrier layer between the fiber and matrix. Due to the success of a barrier layer between fiber and matrix in producing higher performance composites, multiple barrier layers were used to further improve the performance of the ceramic composite.