IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,391,622
Granted Patent B2
US 12,391,622 · App. 16/678,833 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

Microstructured fiber interface coatings for composites

Inventors: Richard Wesley Jackson (Mystic, CT); Ying She (East Hartford, CT); Gajawalli V. Srinivasan (South Windsor, CT)
Assignee: RTX CORPORATION
C04B41/5042C04B35/62236C04B35/62281
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,391,622
App. No.
16/678,833
Granted
Aug 19, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed is a coated ceramic fiber including a zirconium interface coating layer deposited on the ceramic fiber, a zirconium dioxide interface coating layer adjacent to the zirconium interface coating layer, and an additional interface coating layer adjacent to the zirconium dioxide interface coating layer, wherein zirconium dioxide interface coating layer forms micro cracks after a crystal structure transformation. The coated ceramic fiber may be included in a composite material having a ceramic matrix.

Claims (16)

1. A coated ceramic fiber comprising:

a zirconium interface coating layer consisting of zirconium metal deposited on the ceramic fiber, a zirconium dioxide interface coating layer directly adjacent to the zirconium interface coating layer, and an additional interface coating layer directly adjacent to the zirconium dioxide interface coating layer, wherein the zirconium dioxide interface coating layer forms micro cracks after a crystal structure transformation;

wherein the additional interface coating layer consists of zirconium and silicon carbide, zirconium boride, or a combination thereof;

wherein the zirconium dioxide interface coating layer has a thickness greater than 200 nm and includes monoclinic zirconium dioxide which forms micro cracks after transforming to tetragonal zirconium dioxide and back to monoclinic zirconium dioxide; or

wherein the zirconium dioxide interface coating layer has a thickness less than 200 nm and includes tetragonal zirconium dioxide which forms micro cracks after transforming to monoclinic zirconium dioxide.

2. The coated ceramic fiber of claim 1 , wherein the zirconium interface coating layer has a thickness of 1000 nm to 20,000 nm.

3. The coated ceramic fiber of claim 1 , wherein the additional interface coating layer has the same composition as the zirconium interface coating layer.

4. The coated ceramic fiber of claim 1 , wherein the additional interface coating layer has a different composition from the zirconium interface coating layer.

5. A composite material comprising a ceramic matrix material and a plurality of ceramic fibers embedded within the ceramic matrix material wherein the plurality of ceramic fibers comprises a multi-layer interface coating and the multi-layer interface coating comprises a zirconium interface coating layer consisting of zirconium metal deposited on the plurality of ceramic fibers, a zirconium dioxide interface coating layer directly adjacent to the zirconium interface coating layer and an additional interface coating layer directly adjacent to the zirconium dioxide interface coating layer, wherein the zirconium dioxide interface coating layer forms micro cracks after a crystal structure transformation;

wherein the additional interface coating layer includes silicon carbide, zirconium boride, or a combination thereof;

wherein the ceramic matrix material includes mullite, cordierite, or a combination thereof;

wherein the zirconium dioxide interface coating layer has a thickness greater than 200 nm and includes monoclinic zirconium dioxide which forms micro cracks after transforming to tetragonal zirconium dioxide and back to monoclinic zirconium dioxide; or

wherein the zirconium dioxide interface coating layer has a thickness less than 200 nm and includes tetragonal zirconium dioxide which forms micro cracks after transforming to monoclinic zirconium dioxide.

6. The composite material of claim 5 , wherein the zirconium interface coating layer has a thickness of 1000 nm to 20,000 nm.

7. The coated ceramic fiber of claim 5 , wherein the additional interface coating layer has the same composition as the zirconium interface coating layer.

8. The coated ceramic fiber of claim 5 , wherein the additional interface coating layer has a different composition from the zirconium interface coating layer.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2023
From: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RTX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064402/0837 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SPELLING ON THE ADDRESS 10 FARM SPRINGD ROAD FARMINGTONCONNECTICUT 06032 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 057190 FRAME 0719. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CORRECT SPELLING OF THE ADDRESS 10 FARM SPRINGS ROAD FARMINGTON CONNECTICUT 06032. Recorded Aug 19, 2021
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057226/0390 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 16, 2021
From: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057190/0719 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2019
From: JACKSON, RICHARD WESLEY; SHE, YING; SRINIVASAN, GAJAWALLI V.
To: UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 051067/0375 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210139384A1 · May 13, 2021
References Cited (31)
US 2674445A · Diehl · 1954 [cited by applicant]
US 3326704A · Scott et al. · 1967 [cited by applicant]
US 4623228A · Galasso et al. · 1986 [cited by applicant]
US 4657877A · Becher · 1987 [cited by examiner]
US 4668579A · Strangman et al. · 1987 [cited by applicant]
US 5110771A · Carpenter et al. · 1992 [cited by applicant]
US 5275984A · Carpenter · 1994 [cited by examiner]
US 5284685A · Rousseau · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 5455106A · Steffier · 1995 [cited by examiner]
US 5580643A · Kennedy et al. · 1996 [cited by applicant]
US 5723213A · Carpenter et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 6194083B1 · Yasuda et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6322889B1 · Lara-Curzio et al. · 2001 [cited by applicant]
US 6361888B1 · Kriven et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 6441341B1 · Steibel et al. · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 9133541B2 · Lee · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 12060304B2 · Jackson et al. · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 20060163773A1 · Gray · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20150274979A1 · Lazur · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160376691A1 · Wadley et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170218779A1 · Luthra et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20210139381A1 · Jackson et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20230167030A1 · Jackson et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
European Search Report for European Application No. 20206017.4; Application Filing Date: Nov. 5, 2020; Date of Action: Apr. 6, 2021; 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
European Search Report for European Application No. 20206025.7; Application Filing Date: Nov. 5, 2020; Date of Action: Apr. 8, 2021, 8 pages. [cited by applicant]
Piquero et al., “Influence of Carbide Coatings on the Oxidation Behavior of Carbon Fibers”, Carbon, vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 455-467, 1995. [cited by applicant]
Final Office Action issued in U.S. Appl. No. 16/678,852 on Jun. 10, 2022, 8 pages. [cited by applicant]
Non-Final Office Action issued in U.S. Appl. No. 16/678,852 on Mar. 2, 2022, 8 pages. [cited by applicant]
US Notice of Allowance issued in U.S. Appl. No. 16/678,852, dated Sep. 30, 2022, pp. 1-12. [cited by applicant]
US Non-Final Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 18/161,343, dated May 26, 2023, pp. 1-24. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Non-Final Office Action corresponding to U.S. Appl. No. 18/595,101; Issue date, Sep. 11, 2024. [cited by applicant]