Part made from oxide/oxide composite material for 3-D reinforcing and method for manufacture of same

1. A part made of oxide/oxide composite material comprising fiber reinforcement constituted by a plurality of warp yarn layers and of weft yarn layers interlinked by three-dimensional weaving, with the spaces present between the reinforcing yarns being filled with a refractory oxide matrix;

wherein the fiber reinforcement presents a weave selected from the following weaves: interlock; multi-plain; multi-satin; and multi-serge; and warp and weft thread counts lying in the range 4 yarns/cm to 20 yarns/cm, and wherein the fiber reinforcement presents a fiber volume fraction lying in the range 40% to 51%, and wherein spaces present between the yarns of the fiber reinforcement are of dimensions that are less than five times a maximum section of the yarns of the fiber reinforcement.

2. A part according to claim 1 , wherein the part presents, in monotonic traction, at ambient temperature, and in the warp direction:

a modulus of elasticity lying in the range 120 GPa to 170 GPa;

a breaking deformation of not less than 0.35%; and

a breaking stress greater than 250 MPa.

3. A part according to claim 1 , wherein the yarns of the fiber reinforcement are made of fibers constituted by one or more of the following materials: alumina;

mullite; silica; an aluminosilicate; and a borosilicate.

4. A part according to claim 1 , wherein the material of the matrix is selected from: alumina; mullite; silica; an aluminosilicate; and an aluminophosphate.

5. A method of fabricating an oxide/oxide composite material part, the method comprising the following steps:

forming a fiber texture by three-dimensional weaving of refractory oxide yarns;

compacting said fiber texture;

placing on one side of the fiber texture a slip containing a submicrometer powder of refractory oxide particles;

establishing a pressure difference to force the slip to pass through the fiber texture;

filtering a liquid of the slip that has passed through the fiber texture so as to retain the powder of refractory oxide particles inside said texture and to form a filled preform;

drying the filled preform; and

sintering the submicrometer powder of refractory oxide particles in order to form a refractory oxide matrix in the preform;

wherein during the step of forming the fiber texture the yarns are woven with a weave selected from the following weaves: interlock; multi-plain; multi-satin; and multi-serge; with warp and weft thread counts lying in the range 4 yarns/cm to 20 yarns/cm, and in that, after the compacting step, said fiber reinforcement presents a fiber volume fraction lying in the range 40% to 51%, such that spaces present between the yarns of the fiber reinforcement are of dimensions that are less than five times a maximum section of the yarns of the fiber reinforcement.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the yarns of the preform are made of fibers constituted by one or more of the following materials: alumina; mullite; silica; an aluminosilicate; and a borosilicate.

7. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the submicrometer particles are made of a material selected from: alumina; mullite; silica; an aluminosilicate; and an aluminophosphate.

8. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the yarns of the fiber reinforcement comprise continuous fibers.

9. A part according to claim 1 , wherein the yarns of the fiber reinforcement comprise continous fibers.