IP Library Granted Patent US 7,736,554
Granted Patent B2
US 7,736,554 · App. 11/105,851 · Granted Jun 15, 2010

Method of manufacturing a part out of impervious thermostructural composite material

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,736,554
App. No.
11/105,851
Granted
Jun 15, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of manufacturing a part out of impervious thermostructural composite material, the method comprising forming a porous substrate from at least one fiber reinforcement made of refractory fibers, and densifying the reinforcement by a first phase of carbon and by a second phase of silicon carbide. The method then continues by impregnating the porous substrate with a composition based on molten silicon so as to fill in the pores of the substrate.

Claims (33)

1. A method of manufacturing a part out of impervious thermostructural composite material, the method consisting of:

forming a porous substrate from at least one fiber reinforcement made of refractory fibers;

depositing a first phase of continuous carbon on said fiber reinforcement;

depositing a second phase of continuous silicon carbide on the first phase of carbon and said fiber reinforcement so as to completely cover said first phase of carbon and said fiber reinforcement, and

impregnating the silicon carbide deposition with a composition based on molten silicon so as to fill in pores of the silicon carbide deposition without the composition coming into contact with the continuous carbon or said fiber reinforcement.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber reinforcement is densified by the second phase of silicon carbide by chemical vapor infiltration.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber reinforcement is made of fibers having a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of silicon carbide and/or to that of silicon.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the refractory fibers of the fiber reinforcement are fibers selected from silicon carbide fibers and carbon fibers having a natural or an artificial cellulose precursor, a polyacrylonitrile precursor (PAN), a pitch precursor, an organic resin precursor, or carboncore fibers.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the fiber reinforcement is densified by the first phase of carbon by chemical vapor infiltration of pyrolytic carbon.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the step of chemical vapor infiltration of pyrolytic carbon includes heat treatment.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein depositing the fiber reinforcement with the first phase of carbon comprises impregnating the reinforcement with a liquid composition containing a carbon precursor polymer, cross-linking the polymer, and transforming the cross-linked polymer into carbon.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein deposition of the second phase of silicon carbide is performed by chemical vapor infiltration.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the depositing the second phase of silicon carbide comprises impregnation by means of a liquid composition containing a silicon carbide precursor, and ceramizing the precursor.

10. A method of manufacturing a part out of impervious thermostructural composite material, the method consisting of:

forming a porous substrate from at least one fiber reinforcement made of refractory fibers;

depositing a first phase of continuous carbon on said fiber reinforcement;

depositing a second phase of continuous silicon carbide on the first phase of carbon and said fiber reinforcement so as to completely cover said first phase of carbon and said fiber reinforcement,

machining the substrate to open the pores in the material, and

impregnating the silicon carbide deposition with a composition based on molten silicon so as to fill in pores of the silicon carbide deposition without the composition coming into contact with the continuous carbon or said fiber reinforcement.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the silicon-based composition is constituted by silicon or an alloy of silicon and another material selected from titanium, zirconium, molybdenum, and germanium.

12. A method of manufacturing a part out of impervious thermostructural composite material, the method consisting of:

forming a porous substrate from at least one fiber reinforcement made of refractory fibers;

depositing a first phase of continuous carbon on said fiber reinforcement;

depositing a second phase of continuous silicon carbide on the first phase of carbon and said fiber reinforcement so as to completely cover said first phase of carbon and said fiber reinforcement, and

impregnating the silicon carbide deposition with a composition based on molten silicon so as to fill in pores of the silicon carbide deposition without the composition coming into contact with the continuous carbon or said fiber reinforcement by means of a receptacle containing the molten silicon-based composition and at least one stud for supporting the substrate, the stud forming a wick for conveying the silicon-based molten composition by capillarity to the substrate so that it penetrates into the pores of the substrate.

13. A method of manufacturing an impervious thermostructural composite material structure, wherein at least two parts are made using a method a consisting of:

forming a porous substrate from at least one fiber reinforcement made of refractory fibers;

depositing a first phase of continuous carbon on said fiber reinforcement;

depositing a second phase of continuous silicon carbide on the first phase of carbon and said fiber reinforcement so as to completely cover said first phase of carbon and said fiber reinforcement, and

impregnating the silicon carbide deposition with a composition based on molten silicon so as to fill in pores of the silicon carbide deposition without the composition coming into contact with the continuous carbon or said fiber reinforcement A method of manufacturing; and

said parts are assembled together by brazing after at least one of interposing a brazing composition between the surfaces of the parts that are to come into contact and forming a barrier against the brazing composition on those portions of the surfaces of the parts that are not to be brazed together.

14. A method according to claim 13 , wherein depositing a second phase of continuous silicon carbide includes chemical vapor infiltration to form a deposit of silicon carbide on the surfaces of the parts to be assembled together.

15. A method according to claim 13 , wherein, forming a barrier against the brazing composition includes applying an anti-wetting agent.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 22, 2018
From: HERAKLES
To: SAFRAN CERAMICS
Reel/Frame 046678/0455 →
MERGER Recorded Jan 29, 2014
From: SNECMA PROPULSION SOLIDE
To: HERAKLES
Reel/Frame 032135/0709 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SPELLING OF ASSIGNEE'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 016275 FRAME 0678. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CORRECT SPELLING OF CORRECT SPELLING OF ASSIGNEE'S NAME IS "SNECMA PROPULSION SOLIDE". Recorded Apr 23, 2010
From: THEBAULT, JACQUES; BOUQUET, CLEMENT; LAXAGUE, MICHEL; EVRARD, HERVE
To: SNECMA PROPULSION SOLIDE
Reel/Frame 024283/0165 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 25, 2005
From: THEBAULT, JACQUES; BOUQUET, CLEMENT; LAXAGUE, MICHEL; EVRARD, HERVE
To: SNECMA PROFULSION SOLIDE
Reel/Frame 016275/0678 →