The present invention relates to a SiC composite and a method for manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a slurry composition for ceramic matrix composites which can not only reduce the number of precursor impregnation pyrolysis (PIP) cycles but also be useful in the PIP process to increase hardness, thermal stability, and relative density.

A method of forming a ceramic matrix composite component includes forming a fiber preform, the fiber preform including a plurality of ceramic fiber plies, a non-reduced fiber region having an areal weight, and a reduced fiber region characterized by a reduced areal weight less than the areal weight of the non-reduced fiber region by at least 5 percent. The method further includes selectively applying ceramic particles to the reduced fiber region in such manner as to avoid applying the ceramic particles to the non-reduced fiber region, and subsequently densifying the preform.

A method for making a ceramic matrix composite component includes densifying a fibrous preform of the component with a ceramic matrix to form an intermediate component; infiltrating a hole in the intermediate component with an infiltrate material comprising a solid and a metallic alloy whose reaction forms a carbide, silicide, boride or combination thereof, heating the infiltrate material to a temperature in excess of a melting point of the metallic alloy; and sequentially cooling regions of the hole starting from an interior end of the hole to the outer surface of the intermediate component to form a solidified through-thickness reinforcement element. The hole extends in a through-thickness direction and is open to an exterior surface of the intermediate component.

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 of forming a ceramic matrix composite with being impregnated with molten metal includes: stacking a plurality of fiber layers that are layers of reinforced fibers impregnated with base resin to form a laminate in which a matrix layer containing fibers extending in a direction of impregnation with the molten metal is disposed between the fiber layers; forming an impregnation path in the matrix layer entirely in an in-plane direction perpendicular to a direction of the stacking in the laminate by carbonizing the formed laminate; and impregnating, with the molten metal, the laminate in which the impregnation path has been formed.

An airfoil includes an airfoil section that is formed of a fiber-reinforced composite that has fiber plies. The fiber plies include at least one overwrap fiber ply, first and second support fiber plies, and a serpentine fiber ply. The overwrap fiber ply circumscribes an internal cavity and defines first and second sides and leading and trailing ends of the airfoil section. The first and second support fiber plies define respective first and second radial tubes in the internal cavity. The serpentine fiber ply winds from the first side and around the first radial tube to the second side, then from the second side back to the first side, and then from the first side and around the second radial tube back to the second side.

A method of forming a bladder cast ceramic matrix composite (CMC) article including infiltrating a CMC substrate positioned in a cavity of a mold body with a slurry. The CMC substrate includes reinforcement material defining inner spaces. The slurry includes solid particles and a carrier material. During infiltration, the slurry at least partially fills at least a portion of the inner spaces of the CMC substrate. The method also includes inflating at least one bladder that is coupled to the mold body and disposed within the cavity such that a surface of the at least one bladder in an inflated configuration contacts at least one surface of the CMC substrate. The method also includes drying the slurry to remove at least a portion of the carrier material form an infiltrated CMC and deflating the at least one bladder.

A method for forming a hole in a ceramic matrix composite component includes providing a first tool component with a first hole, providing a fiber preform of the ceramic matrix composite component on the first tool component, positioning a second tool component on the fiber preform, such that the fiber preform is disposed between the first and second tool components, inserting a rod into the first and second holes and through the fiber preform, and performing a densification step of the fiber preform in the first and second tool components. The second tool component has a second hole coaxial with the first hole. The fiber preform is densified with a ceramic matrix.

A method of fabricating a gas turbine casing out of composite material of varying thickness, the method including making a strip-shaped fiber texture by three-dimensional weaving; winding the fiber texture as a plurality of superposed layers onto a mandrel of profile corresponding to the profile of the casing that is to be fabricated, so as to obtain a fiber preform of shape corresponding to the shape of the casing that is to be fabricated; and densifying the fiber preform with a matrix; wherein, before beginning to wind the fiber texture onto the mandrel, a reinforcing band of width smaller than the width of the fiber texture is placed on the mandrel in a zone that is to form a retention zone of the casing.

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.