Disclosed are: damage-resistant ECMCs that need to work and remain elastic between minus 120° C. and positive 300° C.; ECMCs that need to be able to contain a flame of 1900° C. for more than 90 minutes; and composite structures, especially highly stressed structures. One of the characteristic problems of ceramic matrices is their fragility. Indeed, when a fracture starts, it propagates easily in the matrix. Disclosed are elastic ceramic matrix composites (ECMCs), for which: the ceramic matrix is split into solid “ceramic microdomains” (CMDs); the CMDs are connected to one another by a dense network of “elastic microelements” (EMEs); and the bonds between the EMEs and the CMDs are strong chemical bonds, preferably covalent.

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.

A method for densifying porous annular substrates by chemical vapor infiltration, includes providing a plurality of unit modules including a support tray on which substrates are stacked, the support tray including a gas intake opening extended by an injection tube disposed in an internal volume formed by the central passages of the stacked substrates, the injection tube including gas injection orifices opening into the internal volume, forming stacks of unit modules in the enclosure of a densification furnace and injecting, into the stacks of unit modules, a gas phase including a gas precursor of a matrix material to be deposited within the porosity of the substrates.

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.

Disclosed are: damage-resistant ECMCs that need to work and remain elastic between minus 120° C. and positive 300° C.; ECMCs that need to be able to contain a flame of 1900° C. for more than 90 minutes; and composite structures, especially highly stressed structures. One of the characteristic problems of ceramic matrices is their fragility. Indeed, when a fracture starts, it propagates easily in the matrix. Disclosed are elastic ceramic matrix composites (ECMCs), for which: the ceramic matrix is split into solid “ceramic microdomains” (CMDs); the CMDs are connected to one another by a dense network of “elastic microelements” (EMEs); and the bonds between the EMEs and the CMDs are strong chemical bonds, preferably covalent.

An electrode heat treatment device and associated method for fabricating an electrode are described, and include forming a workpiece, including coating a current collector with a slurry. The workpiece is placed on a first spool, and the first spool including the workpiece is placed in a sealable chamber, wherein the sealable chamber includes the first spool, a heat exchange work space, and a second spool. An inert environment is created in the sealable chamber. The workpiece is subjected to a multi-step continuous heat treatment operation in the inert environment, wherein the multi-step continuous heat treatment operation includes continuously transferring the workpiece through the heat exchange work space between the first spool and the second spool and controlling the heat exchange work space to an elevated temperature.

A method for forming a high temperature coating includes forming a pre-sintered ceramic coating on a ceramic composite substrate. The pre-sintered ceramic coating includes a plurality of ceramic particles. The method further includes sintering at least a portion of the pre-sintered ceramic coating by heating the portion of the pre-sintered ceramic coating to a sintering temperature of the plurality of ceramic particles using joule heating. The sintering temperature is greater than about 1000 degrees Celsius (° C.).

A method for forming a high temperature coating includes forming a pre-sintered ceramic coating on a ceramic composite substrate. The pre-sintered ceramic coating comprises a plurality of ceramic particles. The method further includes sintering at least a portion of the pre-sintered ceramic coating by heating the portion of the pre-sintered ceramic coating to a sintering temperature of the pre-sintered ceramic coating using one or more non-contact radiative heating elements. The sintering temperature is greater than about 1000 degrees Celsius (° C.).

Ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials are a desired solution for lightweight and high temperature applications. CMC materials can be reinforced with polymer-derived ceramic (PDC) fibers, which advantageously possess intrinsic thermal stability and high mechanical strength. Carbon-rich SiOC and SiOCN fibers were synthesized via hand-drawing and electrospinning polymer pyrolysis of a hybrid precursor materials with the aid of a spinning reagent. The prepared fibers are crosslinked and pyrolyzed for polymer-to-ceramic conversion.

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.