An example method includes combining an interlayer and a carbon fiber fabric, wherein the interlayer comprises a highly oriented milled carbon fiber ply comprising a plurality of out-of-plane carbon fibers. The method further includes winding the interlayer and the carbon fiber fabric around a core to form a composite fiber preform comprising a plurality of layers defining an annulus extending along a central axis. The method further includes densifying the composite fiber preform.

An example method includes forming an interlayer on a carbon fiber fabric to form a composite fiber fabric. The interlayer comprises a binder. The method further includes winding the composite fiber fabric around a core to form a composite fiber preform comprising a plurality of layers defining an annulus extending along a central axis. The method further includes densifying the composite fiber preform.

A mandrel for a molding process includes a first portion and a second portion that form a mandrel having a channel between the first and second portions. At least one locking pin is configured to urge the first and second portions away from each other to establish a gap in response to inserting the locking pin into the channel along a respective end of the mandrel. A molding apparatus and method of forming a matrix composite component are also disclosed.

A seal includes a ceramic matrix composite ply having woven ceramic-based fibers in a ceramic-based matrix. The ceramic matrix composite ply has at least one bend formed about a bend axis and defines at least one rounded portion. A sealed assembly and a method of making a seal are also disclosed.

A method for producing a hollow part made of a ceramic matrix composite material. The method includes shaping a hollow fibrous preform. A core of oxidizable material is housed or inserted into the preform. The method also includes consolidating the preform and extracting the core by oxidising the core.

A prepreg including a support with, for more than 90% of the weight thereof, of ceramic fibers, and a thermoreversible liquefiable gel covering, at least in part, at least one portion of the ceramic fibers. The liquefiable gel including: 20% to 60% of ceramic particles and 0% to 10% of metal particles, both as percentage by volume based on the volume of the liquefiable gel; 0.2% to 10% of a thermoreversible hydrocolloid and 0% to 7% of one or more other constituents, both as a percentage by weight on the basis of the total weight of the ceramic particles and metal particles; the balance to 100% being water. It being possible for the ceramic particles and the metal particles to be replaced, partially or completely, by precursors of ceramic particles and of metal particles, respectively, capable of forming, by heat treatment above 200° C., ceramic particles and metal particles, respectively.

A method for manufacturing a fibrous tubular structure including lobes, in which fibers are draped/deposited on a mandrel having a shape corresponding to that of the fibrous structure, includes draping/deposition carried out such that at least one group of fibers has a same orientation with respect to the axis (A) of said fibrous structure, then, the fibers having been draped over an angular sector less than the total periphery of the mandrel, one of the ends of the fibrous structure is separated from the mandrel in order to allow the continuation of the draping on the same mandrel.

A method of infiltrating a fiber preform comprises positioning an assembly in a process chamber, where the assembly includes a tool comprising through-holes, a fiber preform constrained within the tool, and a sacrificial preform disposed between the fiber preform and the tool. The sacrificial preform is gas permeable. The process chamber is heated, and gaseous reactants are delivered into the process chamber during the heating. The gaseous reactants penetrate the through-holes of the tool and infiltrate the sacrificial preform and the fiber preform. Deposition of reaction products occurs on exposed surfaces of the fiber preform and the sacrificial preform, and a coating is formed thereon. In addition, the sacrificial preform accumulates excess coating material formed from increased reactions at short diffusion depths. Accordingly, the coating formed on the fiber preform exhibits a thickness variation of about 10% or less throughout a volume of the fiber preform.

A system for forming a product with different size particles is disclosed. The system comprises at least one print head region configured to retain a first group of print heads configurable to additively print at least a first portion of the product with a first material and a second group of print heads configurable to additively print at least a second portion of the product with a second material. The described system may also comprise a processor configured to regulate the first group of print heads and the second group of print heads to distribute the first material and the second material. A method of making an object by ink jet printing using the disclosed system is also disclosed.

A method for constructing a plurality of ceramic layers by winding continuous ceramic filaments to prepare RF-transparent structures is provided. Dielectric properties of each layer of the plurality of ceramic layers are characterized by an inter-filament spacing, a filament count and thickness. Once the plurality of ceramic layers are constructed, a structure is removed from a winding surface, wherein the winding surface is a mandrel, infiltrated with a resin in a separate set up and fired.