Methods to increase structural performance, strength, and durability of textile-reinforced composite materials are provided. The textile reinforcement may be knitted, for example, in a flat bed weft knitting machine. The method may include pre-stressing a textile reinforcement preform by applying tension. A polymeric precursor may be introduced to the pre-stressed textile reinforcement preform. The polymeric precursor may then be cured or consolidated, followed by releasing of the applied tension to form the composite article comprising polymer and the pre-stressed textile reinforcement. In other aspects, a composite article is provided that has a pre-stressed textile reinforcement structure and a cured polymer. The textile reinforcement may be a knitted, lightweight, seamless, unitary structure. The knitted reinforcement structure may have distinct first and second knitted regions with different levels of pre-stress, thus providing enhanced control over strength, rigidity, and flexibility of the composite article.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a turbine engine blade from a preform (10) of composite material polymerised in a mould comprising a lower part (16) and an upper part, comprising at least one closure step, during which the upper part of said mould is placed on the lower part (16) of the mould containing the preform (10). The method comprises, prior to said closure step, at least one sub-step of inserting a position marker (28) into the preform (10), at least one sub-step of compacting the preform using an insert (34) intended to be received in the upper part of the mould (18), and at least one sub-step of checking the position of the marker (28) relative to a reference mark (30) of said insert (34).

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a turbine engine blade from a preform (10) of composite material polymerised in a mould comprising a lower part (16) and an upper part, comprising at least one closure step, during which the upper part of said mould is placed on the lower part (16) of the mould containing the preform (10). The method comprises, prior to said closure step, at least one sub-step of inserting a position marker (28) into the preform (10), at least one sub-step of compacting the preform using an insert (34) intended to be received in the upper part of the mould (18), and at least one sub-step of checking the position of the marker (28) relative to a reference mark (30) of said insert (34).

The invention relates to a system (10) for the continuous production of a curved profiled preform (5) from flat, semi-finished fiber products (1), and to a method for this purpose, wherein first belt sections (3a, 3b) are formed by a shaping device and subsequently the semi-finished fiber product is sheared with the aid of two rollers (51, 52) which are arranged in the conveying direction at a distance from one another; wherein the web height of the curved profiled mold can be varied by linearly displaceable rollers (61, 62).

The invention relates to a system (10) for the continuous production of a curved profiled preform (5) from flat, semi-finished fiber products (1), and to a method for this purpose, wherein first belt sections (3a, 3b) are formed by a shaping device and subsequently the semi-finished fiber product is sheared with the aid of two rollers (51, 52) which are arranged in the conveying direction at a distance from one another; wherein the web height of the curved profiled mold can be varied by linearly displaceable rollers (61, 62).

Methods of manufacturing a belt include laying up a first elastomeric layer of a belt build on a mandrel, laying up a tensile reinforcement layer on the first elastomeric layer, where the tensile reinforcement layer contains cords coated with a water based urethane compound, and laying up a second elastomeric layer on the first elastomeric layer and the tensile reinforcement layer. The belt build may be cured in a profile-forming mold, and afterward, cut to a predetermined belt width and/or length.

Methods of manufacturing a belt include laying up a first elastomeric layer of a belt build on a mandrel, laying up a tensile reinforcement layer on the first elastomeric layer, where the tensile reinforcement layer contains cords coated with a water based urethane compound, and laying up a second elastomeric layer on the first elastomeric layer and the tensile reinforcement layer. The belt build may be cured in a profile-forming mold, and afterward, cut to a predetermined belt width and/or length.

A preform has a fibrous reinforcement woven in one piece by three-dimensional weaving to create a fan inter-blade platform The platform includes an aerodynamic base and a fixing structure having stiffening elements that extend from the aerodynamic base. The preform includes a first fibrous part configured to form the aerodynamic base, second fibrous part configured to at least partially form the stiffening elements of the inter-blade platform, a first connection zone in which the first and second parts are woven together, and a first disconnection zone delimited by a first disconnection line extending in a transverse direction and in which the first and second parts are separated from one another. The first disconnection zone is adjacent to the first connection zone in a longitudinal direction L.

A preform has a fibrous reinforcement woven in one piece by three-dimensional weaving to create a fan inter-blade platform The platform includes an aerodynamic base and a fixing structure having stiffening elements that extend from the aerodynamic base. The preform includes a first fibrous part configured to form the aerodynamic base, second fibrous part configured to at least partially form the stiffening elements of the inter-blade platform, a first connection zone in which the first and second parts are woven together, and a first disconnection zone delimited by a first disconnection line extending in a transverse direction and in which the first and second parts are separated from one another. The first disconnection zone is adjacent to the first connection zone in a longitudinal direction L.

A method of treating silicon carbide fibers comprises phosphating heat treatment in a reactive gas so as to form a coating around each fiber for protection against oxidation. The coating comprises a surface layer of silicon pyrophosphate crystals and at least one underlying bilayer system comprising a layer of a phosphosilicate glass and a layer of microporous carbon.