A method for producing microencapsulated fuel pebble fuel more rapidly and with a matrix that engenders added safety attributes. The method includes coating fuel particles with ceramic powder; placing the coated fuel particles in a first die; applying a first current and a first pressure to the first die so as to form a fuel pebble by direct current sintering. The method may further include removing the fuel pebble from the first die and placing the fuel pebble within a bed of non-fueled matrix ceramic in a second die; and applying a second current and a second pressure to the second die so as to form a composite fuel pebble.

An apparatus and a method for producing fine particles includes a vacuum chamber, a material feeding device connected to the vacuum chamber and feeding material particles into the vacuum chamber from material feeing ports, and a plurality of electrodes connected to the vacuum chamber. Tip ends of the electrodes protrude into the vacuum chamber to generate plasma, and a collecting device is connected to the vacuum chamber and collects fine particles. The electrodes generate discharge inside the vacuum chamber and produce the fine particles from the material. The material feeding ports of the material feeding device are arranged in a lower side than (below) the plural electrodes in the vertical direction in the vacuum chamber.

A method for producing microencapsulated fuel pebble fuel more rapidly and with a matrix that engenders added safety attributes. The method includes coating fuel particles with ceramic powder; placing the coated fuel particles in a first die; applying a first current and a first pressure to the first die so as to form a fuel pebble by direct current sintering. The method may further include removing the fuel pebble from the first die and placing the fuel pebble within a bed of non-fueled matrix ceramic in a second die; and applying a second current and a second pressure to the second die so as to form a composite fuel pebble.

A particulate composite ceramic material comprising: particles of at least one first ultra-high-temperature ceramic UHTC, the outer surface of said particles being at least partially covered by a porous layer made of at least one second ultra-high-temperature ceramic in amorphous form; and the particles defining a space therebetween; optionally, porous clusters of said at least one second ultra-high-temperature ceramic in amorphous form, distributed in said space; a dense matrix and at least one third ultra-high-temperature ceramic in crystallized form at least partially filling said space; optionally, a dense coating made of at least said third ultra-high-temperature ceramic in crystallized form, covering the outer surface of said matrix, said matrix and said coating representing 5% to 90% by mass with respect to the total mass of the material.

Part comprising said particulate ceramic composite material.

Method for manufacturing said part.

A process for manufacturing a composite material part including a particulate reinforcement densified by a ceramic matrix, the process including: formation of a blank of the part to be manufactured by shaping a mixture including a binder, first ceramic or carbon particles intended to form the particulate reinforcement of the part and second ceramic or carbon particles distinct from the first particles, removal or pyrolysis of the binder present in the blank to obtain a porous preform of the part to be manufactured, and infiltration of the porosity of the preform by a molten composition including a metal in order to obtain the part.

A process for densification of a ceramic matrix composite comprises forming a reinforcing ceramic continuous fiber stack having a central zone bounded by an outer zone adjacent; locating first particles within the central zone; coating the first particles and the ceramic fibers with silicon carbide through chemical vapor infiltration; locating second particles within the outer zone; coating the second particles and the ceramic fibers with silicon carbide through chemical vapor infiltration; forming the stack into a predetermined three dimensional shape; and densifying the stack.

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.

A process for densification of a ceramic matrix composite comprises forming a reinforcing ceramic continuous fiber stack having a central zone bounded by an outer zone adjacent; locating first particles within the central zone; coating the first particles and the ceramic fibers with silicon carbide through chemical vapor infiltration; locating second particles within the outer zone; coating the second particles and the ceramic fibers with silicon carbide through chemical vapor infiltration; forming the stack into a predetermined three dimensional shape; and densifying the stack.

Disclosed herein are a ceramic particle comprising a ceramic core substrate and a conformal coating of a sintering aid film on a surface of the core substrate, wherein the conformal coating includes a plurality of distributed islands of the sintering aid film across the surface of the core substrate; methods for producing the ceramic particle by ALD or MLD; and methods of using the coated ceramic particles in additive manufacturing or in solid oxide fuel cells. In one example, the film may have a thickness of less than three nanometers. The disclosed ceramic particle may be non-reactive with water.

A porous fiber preform enclosed within a mold may be melt infiltrated by pouring a molten material through an inlet of the mold, the porous fiber preform comprising ceramic fibers. A ceramic matrix composite component comprising the ceramic fibers may be formed by solidifying the molten material that is in the mold and in the porous fiber preform.