The invention relates to the use of Dispersion Ceramic Micro-Encapsulated (DCM) nuclear fuel as a meltdown-proof, accident-tolerant fuel to replace uranium dioxide fuel in existing light water reactors (LWRs). The safety qualities of the DCM fuel are obtained by the combination of three strong barriers to fission product release (ceramic coatings around the fuel kernels), highly dense inert ceramic matrix around the coated fuel particles and metallic or ceramic cladding around the fuel pellets.

A super hard polycrystalline construction has a first region comprising a body of thermally stable polycrystalline super hard material having an exposed surface forming a working surface, and a peripheral side edge, said polycrystalline super hard material comprising a plurality of intergrown grains of super hard material; a second region forming a substrate to the first region; and a third region interposed between the first and second regions. The third region extends across a surface of the second region along an interface, the interface comprising at least a portion having an uneven topology, the third region comprising a composite material having a first phase comprising a plurality of non-intergrown grains of super hard material, and a matrix material, the third region having a wear resistance at least three times less than sintered polycrystalline diamond material having the same average grain size of diamond grains as the super hard grains in the third region.

A polycrystalline super hard construction is disclosed having a first region comprising a body of thermally stable polycrystalline super hard material having an exposed surface forming a working surface, and a peripheral side edge, the polycrystalline super hard material comprising a plurality of grains of super hard material; a second region forming a substrate to the first region; and a third region interposed between the first and second regions. The third region extends across a surface of the second region along an interface, the interface comprising a portion having an uneven topology and a substantially planar portion, the third region comprising a composite material including a first phase comprising a plurality of non-intergrown diamond grains, and a matrix material.

A composite fiber stator ring for a gas turbine engine compressor includes a plurality of composite fiber vane structures. Each of the composite fiber vane structures includes a plurality of fiber plies. All of the fiber plies flow in a single direction at each joint of the corresponding composite fiber vane structure. The plurality of composite fiber vane structures are arranged circumferentially in a ring.

A manufacturing method for a ceramic matrix composite, having a woven fabric that has multiple fiber bundles and having a matrix that is disposed in the gaps between the fiber bundles, includes: a green body formation step for forming a green body by sintering the woven fabric infiltrated with a polymer that is a precursor to the matrix; and a densification step for further infiltrating the green body with a polymer and sintering same. The densification step includes: a second infiltration step for further infiltrating the green body with a polymer so as to form an infiltrated green body; a drying step for drying the infiltrated green body so as to form a dried green body; a steam treatment step for leaving the dried green body under saturation water vapor pressure so as to form a treated green body; and a sintering step for sintering the treated green body.

Embodiments relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (PDCs) that are less susceptible to liquid metal embrittlement damage due to the use of at least one transition layer between a polycrystalline diamond (PCD) layer and a substrate. In an embodiment, a PDC includes a PCD layer, a cemented carbide substrate, and at least one transition layer bonded to the substrate and the PCD layer. The at least one transition layer is formulated with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is less than a CTE of the substrate and greater than a CTE of the PCD layer. At least a portion of the PCD layer includes diamond grains defining interstitial regions and a metal-solvent catalyst occupying at least a portion of the interstitial regions. The diamond grains and the catalyst collectively exhibit a coercivity of about 115 Oersteds or more and a specific magnetic saturation of about 15 Gauss.Math.cm.sup.3/grams or less.

A method of assembling a composite panel includes disposing a pliable matrix material between a first side of a ceramic core structure and a ceramic matrix composite face sheet, wherein the ceramic core structure comprises a plurality of hollow cells defined by a plurality of walls extending from the first side of the ceramic core structure to a second side of the ceramic core structure opposite the first side; and densifying the pliable matrix material to bond the pliable matrix material with the ceramic core structure and the ceramic matrix composite face sheet.

A composite fiber stator ring for a gas turbine engine compressor includes a plurality of composite fiber vane structures. Each of the composite fiber vane structures includes a plurality of fiber plies. All of the fiber plies flow in a single direction at each joint of the corresponding composite fiber vane structure. The plurality of composite fiber vane structures are arranged circumferentially in a ring.

This copper/ceramic assembly includes: a copper member consisting of copper or a copper alloy; and a ceramic member, wherein the copper member and the ceramic member are bonded to each other. At a bonded interface between the ceramic member and the copper member, an active metal compound layer is formed on a side of the ceramic member. In a region extending by 10 ?m from the active metal compound layer toward a side of the copper member, an area rate of an active metal carbide is 8% or less.

The invention relates to a composite material based on boron nitride (BN(C)) in the form of a continuous structure; and a phase change material (PCM) incorporated within said continuous BN(C) structure and is embedded within a polymer layer, a process for manufacturing same, and the components that comprise same.