A method is provided for growing a fiber structure, where the method includes: obtaining a substrate, growing an array of pedestal fibers on the substrate, growing fibers on the pedestal fibers, and depositing a coating surrounding each of the fibers. In another aspect, a method of fabricating a fiber structure includes obtaining a substrate and growing a plurality of fibers on the substrate according to 1½D printing. In another aspect, a multilayer functional fiber is provided produced by, for instance, the above-noted methods.

A process for the production of highly carbonaceous material, including combining a structured precursor including fibres and an unstructured precursor, in the form of a fluid, wherein the fluid has a viscosity of less than 45,000 mPa.Math.s.sup.−1 at the temperature at which the combination step occurs, and including at least a cyclic organic or aromatic compound in the molten state, or in solution at a concentration by weight of less than or equal to 65%, in order to obtain a combined precursor corresponding to the structured precursor covered by the unstructured precursor, wherein the process further includes step of thermal and dimensional stabilization of the combined precursor in order to obtain fibres covered with a cyclic organic or aromatic compound deposit, and a step of carbonization of the fibres covered with a cyclic organic or aromatic compound deposit in order to obtain a highly carbonaceous material.

The present disclosure includes a system and method for monitoring degradation of a high temperature composite component (HTC). The HTC is defined by a volume that includes a matrix material and a fiber formed from at least one of ceramic and carbon material. One or more electrical conductors are disposed within the volume and connected directly or indirectly to a monitoring system.

A method of making a multi-composition fiber is provided, which includes providing a precursor laden environment, and forming a fiber in the precursor laden environment using laser heating. The precursor laden environment includes a primary precursor material and an elemental precursor material. The formed fiber includes a primary fiber material and an elemental additive material, where the elemental additive material has too large an atom size to fit within a single crystalline domain within a crystalline structure of the fiber, and is deposited on grain boundaries between adjacent crystalline domains of the primary fiber material to present an energy barrier to atomic diffusion through the grain boundaries, and to increase creep resistance by slowing down growth between the adjacent crystalline domains of the primary fiber material.

Methods for fabricating high-temperature composite structures (e.g., structures comprising carbon-carbon composite materials or ceramic composite matrix (CMC) materials and configured for use at temperature at or exceeding about 2000° F. (1093° C.)) include forming precursor structures by additive manufacturing (“AM”) (e.g., “3D printing”). The precursor structures are exposed to high temperatures to pyrolyze a precursor matric material of the initial 3D printed structure. A liquid resin is used to impregnate the pyrolyzed structure, to densify the structure into a near-net final shape. Use of expensive and time-consuming molds and post-processing machining may be avoided. Large, unitary, integrally formed parts conducive for use in high-temperature environments may be formed using the methods of the disclosure.

The present disclosure includes a system and method for monitoring degradation of a high temperature composite component (HTC). The HTC is defined by a volume that includes a matrix material and a fiber formed from at least one of ceramic and carbon material. One or more electrical conductors are disposed within the volume and connected directly or indirectly to a monitoring system.

A method of making a ceramic fiber tow and the system regarding the same may be included. The method may include commingling a plurality of ceramic fibers with a fugitive fiber to form a single ceramic fiber tow. The fugitive fiber may be positioned between at least two ceramic fibers included in the single ceramic fiber tow. The method may further include forming a porous ceramic preform including at least the single ceramic fiber tow. The method may further include removing the fugitive fiber from the ceramic fiber tow leaving a space between at least two ceramic fibers of the single ceramic fiber tow. The method may further include replacing the spaces between ceramic fibers included in the ceramic fiber tows with a ceramic matrix.

A heating element is used, a periphery of the heating element is covered with a net-shaped conductor, the conductor and a carbon fiber bundle are electrically connected with a connecting tool at one end of the heating element, a periphery of the conductor is covered with an outer skin having flexibility, thermal conductivity and an insulating property, and the other end of the heating element is provided with a power supply terminal configured to supply power.

A complex ceramic particle and ceramic composite material may be made of a pretreated coal dust and a polymer derived ceramic that is mixed together and pyrolyzed in a nonoxidizing atmosphere. Constituent portions of the particle mixture chemically react causing particles to increase in density and reduce in size during pyrolyzation, yielding a particle suitable for a plurality of uses including composite articles and proppants.

The disclosed methods and apparatus improve the fabrication of solid fibers and microstructures. In many embodiments, the fabrication is from gaseous, solid, semi-solid, liquid, critical, and supercritical mixtures using one or more low molar mass precursor(s), in combination with one or more high molar mass precursor(s). The methods and systems generally employ the thermal diffusion/Soret effect to concentrate the low molar mass precursor at a reaction zone, where the presence of the high molar mass precursor contributes to this concentration, and may also contribute to the reaction and insulate the reaction zone, thereby achieving higher fiber growth rates and/or reduced energy/heat expenditures together with reduced homogeneous nucleation. In some embodiments, the invention also relates to the permanent or semi-permanent recording and/or reading of information on or within fabricated fibers and microstructures. In some embodiments, the invention also relates to the fabrication of certain functionally-shaped fibers and microstructures. In some embodiments, the invention may also utilize laser beam profiling to enhance fiber and microstructure fabrication.