A process for the production of sinter powder particles (SP), comprising the steps a) providing at least one continuous filament, b) coating, the at least one continuous filament provided in step a) with at least one thermoplastic polymer to obtain a continuous strand comprising the at least one continuous filament, coated with the at least one thermoplastic polymer, wherein the average cross-sectional diameter of the strand is in the range of 10 to 300 pm, and c) size reducing of the continuous strand provided in step b) in order to obtain the sinter powder particles (SP), wherein the average length of the sinter powder particles (SP) is in the range of 10 to 300 pm. The present invention further relates to sinter powder particles (SP) obtained by the process, the use of the sinter powder particles (SP) in a powder-based additive manufacturing process and sinter powder particles (SP) having an essentially cylindrical shape N as well as a process for the production of a shaped body by laser sintering or high-speed sintering of sinter powder particles (SP).

A tow coating reactor system includes a reactor for receiving fiber tow, a wedge situated adjacent the reactor and configured to receive the tow at a tip end, such that as the tow moves across the wedge, the wedge spreads the tow into a plurality of sub-tows.

A method of producing a CMC having a smooth surface includes forming a fiber preform; rigidizing the preform with an interphase coating; infiltrating a ceramic slurry into the preform to form a green body; conducting secondary operations on the green body; applying a slurry-based layer onto a portion of the green body; and infiltrating the green body with a molten silicon or silicon alloy, such that the CMC exhibits a smooth surface. The application of the slurry-based surface layer onto the green body includes placing the green body into a tool fixture having upper and lower components, such that a gap is present between the green body and at least one of the upper and lower components; and delivering a surface layer slurry into at least one gap, such that the surface layer slurry forms the slurry-based layer on at least a portion of the green body.

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.

Methods for preparing ceramic matrix composites using melt infiltration are provided as well as the resulting ceramic matrix composites. The methods and products include the incorporation of a non-wetting coating to one or more sacrificial fibers. The one or more sacrificial fibers are removed, such as decomposed during pyrolysis, resulting in the formation of a plurality of functional features, in the form of regular and elongate channels along the ceramic matrix composite. During the removing of the one or more sacrificial fibers, the non-wetting coating remains on an interior surface of the plurality of functional features to block infiltration of an infiltrant to the plurality of functional features and deposition thereon. Alternatively, the sacrificial fibers may be removed subsequent to melt infiltration.

Provided are a cover-layer-including ceramic continuous fiber suitable for producing a ceramic matrix composite material that can have improved damage tolerance and a ceramic matrix composite material formed from the cover-layer-including ceramic continuous fiber. The cover-layer-including ceramic continuous fiber includes a ceramic continuous fiber and a cover layer formed of an inorganic acid salt and disposed on the surface of the ceramic continuous fiber, wherein the thickness variation coefficient of the cover layer is 80% or less.

Methods of making ceramic matrix prepregs are described. The methods include exposing a coated tow of ceramic fibers to a ceramic matrix slurry comprising a solvent and ceramic precursor. The coating is at least partially removed and the slurry infuses into the ceramic fibers to form prepreg. Steps to form ceramic matrix composites are also described, including forming the prepreg into a green body, and sintering the ceramic precursor.

A tow coating reactor system includes a reactor for receiving fiber tow, a wedge situated adjacent the reactor and configured to receive the tow at a tip end, such that as the tow moves across the wedge, the wedge spreads the tow into a plurality of sub-tows.

Provided herein are methods of making composite materials. The methods may include infiltrating a carbon nanoscale fiber network with a ceramic precursor, curing the ceramic precursor, and/or pyrolyzing the ceramic precursor. The infiltrating, curing, and pyrolyzing steps may be repeated one or more times. Composite materials also are provided that include a ceramic material and carbon nanoscale fibers.

A method of infiltrating a fiber structure with a coating and a matrix material includes connecting a wave guide to a fiber structure comprising a plurality of fibers, applying vibration to the fiber structure to separate adjacent fibers at contact points, and depositing a coating on a surface of each of the fibers including contact point surfaces where adjacent fibers have been separated.