Three-dimensional printing of continuous carbon fibre reinforced silicon carbide ceramic matrix composites

Continuous Cf-reinforced SiC CMCs can survive in highly corrosive environments, withstand high temperatures and are, in general, an excellent class of material for demanding environments. However, the manufacture of the components can be difficult, expensive and have limited ability to place the fibre reinforcement flexibly, whilst the high propensity for manufacturing and machining-induced defects can limit freedom in geometrical design. This paper discusses work on the development of a three-dimensional printing approach designed to allow the production of geometrically complex, continuous Cf-SiC CMCs. The approach also allows the possibility of creating different fibre-reinforcing structures. Continuous carbon fibres are embedded simultaneously within the CMCs with the deposition of a SiC-based matrix, and then the printed green bodies have the polymers used burnt out before being sintered into CMCs. Further work is still needed to increase the level of densification achieved, and more extensive characterisation is also required.