Process for depositing a coating on short fibres by calefaction

1. A process for depositing a coating on short fibres of carbon or silicon carbide from a coating precursor, the short fibres having a length of between 50 μm and 5 mm, wherein the process comprises:

heating the short fibres by placing a mixture comprising said fibres and a liquid phase of the coating precursor in a microwave field so as to bring the surface of the fibres to a temperature allowing the coating on the fibres from the coating precursor to be formed by calefaction, the coating being an interphase coating comprising pyrolytic carbon, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride Si 3 N 4 , or SiBN, a liquid phase of the coating precursor coupling with the microwave field so as to bring it to boiling point so that, in said mixture, the fibers are dispersed in said liquid phase during application of the microwave field.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the length of the short fibres is between 100 μm and 300 μm.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the short fibres are made of silicon carbide having an oxygen content of less than or equal to 1 atomic percent.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the microwave field is obtained from a resonator having a resonant cavity.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the short fibres are obtained from fibres which are cut or ground.

6. A process for manufacturing a ceramic matrix composite part comprising a step of forming the matrix around short fibres on which a coating has been deposited by a process according to claim 1 .