Interface coating process
A method for applying an interface coating to fibers in the manufacture of a fiber-reinforced composite material includes separating a plurality of fibers with a plurality of spacers disposed between adjacent fibers and depositing, via chemical vapor infiltration, an interface coating on the plurality of fibers. The plurality of spacers comprises hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles.
1 . A method for applying an interface coating to fibers in the manufacture of a fiber-reinforced composite material, the method comprising:
separating a plurality of fibers with a plurality of spacers disposed between adjacent fibers, wherein:
the plurality of spacers comprises hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles, the hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles applied to the plurality of fibers in a colloidal solution and,
separating the plurality of fibers with the plurality of spacers comprises applying ultrasonic vibration to the plurality of fibers to separate adjacent fibers and to distribute the hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles between adjacent fibers; and
depositing, via chemical vapor infiltration, an interface coating on the plurality of fibers.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein fibers of the plurality of fibers are arranged in a plurality of fiber tows and, wherein the plurality of fibers tows are arranged in a woven fiber ply.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the colloidal solution of hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles is applied to the woven fiber ply.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein fibers of the plurality of fibers are arranged in a fiber preform of a component.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the fiber preform is disposed in a tooling and wherein the tooling is disposed in an ultrasonic bath for applying ultrasonic vibration to the fiber preform.
6 . The method of claim 4 , and further comprising drying and/or heat treating the fiber preform following application of ultrasonic vibration.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface coating has a thickness greater than a thickness of the hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles, the thickness of the interface coating and the thickness of the hexagonal-boron nitride measured from a surface of the fiber radially outward.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles have a thickness less than 50 nanometers.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein separating the plurality of fibers provides connected gaps between the plurality of fibers and the plurality of spacers.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the interface coating comprises hexagonal-boron nitride.
11 . A method for applying an interface coating to fibers in the manufacture of a fiber-reinforced composite material, the method comprising:
applying a colloidal solution of hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles to a plurality of fibers;
applying ultrasonic vibration to the plurality of fibers to separate the plurality of fibers and distribute the hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles between adjacent fibers, wherein the hexagonal-boron nitride particles form spacers between adjacent fibers; and
depositing, via chemical vapor infiltration, an interface coating on the plurality of fibers.
12 . The method of claim 11 and further comprising forming a fiber preform of a component, the fiber preform comprising the plurality of fibers and the colloidal solution of hexagonal-boron nitride and wherein the ultrasonic vibrations are applied to the fiber preform.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the fiber preform comprises a plurality of woven fiber plies arranged in a stack, wherein the colloidal solution of hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles is applied to each fiber ply before arranging the plurality of fiber plies in a stack.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a first subset of the hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles is disposed between adjacent fibers of the fiber tows and separate the adjacent fibers within the fiber tows, and wherein a second subset of the plurality of the hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles is disposed between fibers of adjacent fiber tows and separate the fibers of the adjacent fiber tows within a single fiber ply and in adjacent fiber plies.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the fiber preform is disposed in a tooling having a desired shape and wherein the tooling is disposed in an ultrasonic bath for applying ultrasonic vibration to the fiber preform.
16 . The method of claim 12 , and further comprising drying and/or heat treating the fiber preform following application of ultrasonic vibrations.
17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the interface coating comprises hexagonal-boron nitride and has a thickness greater than a thickness of the hexagonal-boron nitride nanoparticles, the thickness of the interface coating and the thickness of the hexagonal-boron nitride measure outward from a surface of the fiber.