Method of fabricating a glass-ceramic matrix composite

1. A method of fabricating a glass matrix composite, the method comprising:

providing a fiber preform in a cavity of a die tooling, the fiber preform having at least 2-axis curvature and circumscribing an interior region;

providing a parison of glass matrix material in the interior region, the glass matrix material having a first viscosity;

introducing pressurized inert gas into the parison, the pressurized inert gas causing the parison to outwardly inflate against the fiber preform;

while outwardly inflated against the fiber preform and under pressure from the pressurized inert gas, decreasing the first viscosity of the glass matrix material to a second viscosity, the pressure and the second viscosity causing the glass matrix material to flow and infiltrate into the fiber preform to thereby form a consolidated workpiece; and

cooling the consolidated workpiece to thereby form a glass matrix composite.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first viscosity is greater than from the second viscosity by a factor of at least 10.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising holding the pressure for a period of time to saturate the fiber preform with the glass-containing matrix material.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fiber preform is axisymmetric.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fiber preform is formed of fibers selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide fibers, carbon fibers, Si 3 N 4 fibers, SiBCN fibers, SiCN fibers, SiOC, SiAlOC fibers, SiZrOC fibers, SiTiOC fibers, B 4 C fibers, ZrC fibers, HfC fibers, alumino silicate fibers, Al 2 O 3 fibers, ZrO 2 fibers, and combinations thereof.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fiber-reinforced matrix composite is, by volume percent, 20% to 80% of the glass-containing matrix material and 20% to 80% of the fiber preform.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising pre-heating the parison outside of the interior region and then inserting the parison into the interior region.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fiber preform initially has a first size, and the pressure causes the glass matrix material to compact the fiber preform to a second size against the mold tool.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising, prior to providing the fiber preform in the cavity of the die tooling, depositing a glass layer on the cavity of the die tooling.

10. A method of fabricating a glass matrix composite, the method comprising:

providing a fiber preform in a cavity of a die tooling, the fiber preform circumscribing an interior region and initially having a first size, and the fiber preform being formed of fibers selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide fibers, carbon fibers, Si 3 N 4 fibers, SiBCN fibers, SiCN fibers, SiOC, SiAlOC fibers, SiZrOC fibers, SiTiOC fibers, B 4 C fibers, ZrC fibers, HfC fibers, alumino silicate fibers, Al 2 O 3 fibers, ZrO 2 fibers, and combinations thereof;

providing a parison of glass matrix material in the interior region;

introducing pressurized inert gas into the parison to outwardly inflate the parison against the fiber preform, the pressure causing the glass matrix material to compress the fiber preform to a second size against the mold tool and also flow and infiltrate into the fiber preform to thereby form a consolidated workpiece; and

cooling the consolidated workpiece to thereby form a glass matrix composite.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising holding the pressure for a period of time to saturate the fiber preform with the glass matrix material.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the fiber preform is axisymmetric.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the fiber preform has at least 2-axis curvature.

14. The method as recited in claim 10 , wherein the fiber-reinforced matrix composite is, by volume percent, 20% to 80% of the glass matrix material and 20% to 80% of the fiber preform.

15. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising pre-heating the parison outside of the interior region and then inserting the parison into the interior region.

16. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising, prior to providing the fiber preform in the cavity of the die tooling, depositing a glass layer on the cavity of the die tooling.

17. A method of fabricating a glass matrix composite, the method comprising:

providing a fiber preform in a cavity of a die tooling, the fiber preform circumscribing an interior region;

providing a parison of glass matrix material in the interior region, the glass matrix material having a first viscosity;

introducing pressurized inert gas into the parison, the pressurized inert gas causing the parison to outwardly inflate against the fiber preform;

while outwardly inflated against the fiber preform and under pressure from the pressurized inert gas, decreasing the first viscosity of the glass matrix material to a second viscosity, the first viscosity being greater than the second viscosity by a factor of at least 10, the pressure and the second viscosity causing the glass matrix material to flow and infiltrate into the fiber preform to thereby form a consolidated workpiece; and

cooling the consolidated workpiece to thereby form a glass matrix composite.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 , wherein the fiber preform is formed of fibers selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide fibers, carbon fibers, Si 3 N 4 fibers, SiBCN fibers, SiCN fibers, SiOC, SiAlOC fibers, SiZrOC fibers, SiTiOC fibers, B 4 C fibers, ZrC fibers, HfC fibers, alumino silicate fibers, Al 2 O 3 fibers, ZrO 2 fibers, and combinations thereof, the fiber preform has at least 2-axis curvature, and the fiber-reinforced matrix composite is, by volume percent, 20% to 80% of the glass matrix material and 20% to 80% of the fiber preform.