Application of Sol‐Gel Processing Techniques for the Manufacture of Fiber‐Reinforced Ceramics

Abstract

This paper discusses the application of freeze gelation of sil‐ica sols for the manufacture of low‐cost, net‐shape components in ceramic‐matrix composites (CMCs). A brief analysis is made of the central features which determine the stiffness, strength, and toughness of composite materials insofar as they may be applied to this particular class of CMCs. The critical processing parameters, relating mainly to the matrix phase, are reviewed and the results of the program so far obtained are interpreted in the context of this analysis. It is clear that interactions between processing parameters make optimization a complex process. In short‐fiber composites, matrix porosity dominates composite properties, while in continuous‐fiber systems, it is fiber degradation that controls the composite performance.