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.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional macroporous filament construct having interconnected microporous filaments showing a suitable surface roughness and microporosity. The method includes the steps of: a) preparing a suspension having particles of a predetermined material, a liquid solvent, one or more binders and optionally one or more dispersants, b) depositing the suspension in the form of filaments in a predetermined three-dimensional pattern, preferably in a non-solvent environment, thereby creating a three-dimensional filament-based porous structure, c) inducing phase inversion, whereby said filaments are transformed from a liquid to a solid state, by exposing the filaments during the deposition of the filaments with a non-solvent vapour and to a liquid non-solvent, d) thermally treating the structure of step d) by calcining and sintering the structure. The invention further provides a three-dimensional macroporous filament construct having interconnected microporous filaments showing a specific surface roughness and microporosity. The invention also relates to various uses of the construct, including its use for the manufacture of a biomedical product, such as a synthetic bone implant or bone graft.

The disclosed methods and apparatus improve the fabrication of solid fibers and microstructures. In many embodiments, the fabrication is from gaseous, solid, semi-solid, liquid, critical, and supercritical mixtures using one or more low molar mass precursor(s), in combination with one or more high molar mass precursor(s). The methods and systems generally employ the thermal diffusion/Soret effect to concentrate the low molar mass precursor at a reaction zone, where the presence of the high molar mass precursor contributes to this concentration, and may also contribute to the reaction and insulate the reaction zone, thereby achieving higher fiber growth rates and/or reduced energy/heat expenditures together with reduced homogeneous nucleation. In some embodiments, the invention also relates to the permanent or semi-permanent recording and/or reading of information on or within fabricated fibers and microstructures. In some embodiments, the invention also relates to the fabrication of certain functionally-shaped fibers and microstructures. In some embodiments, the invention may also utilize laser beam profiling to enhance fiber and microstructure fabrication.

In one aspect, a fiber delivery assembly is provided including a backing tape and a single-filament fiber coupled to the backing tape. In another aspect, a method of making a fiber delivery assembly is provided, which includes: providing a backing tape; providing a single-filament fiber; and coupling the single-filament fiber to the backing tape.

A method for forming an ultra-high temperature (UHT) composite structure includes dispensing a polymeric precursor with a spinneret biased at a first DC voltage; forming a plurality of nanofibers from the polymeric precursor; receiving the plurality of nanofibers with a collector biased at a second DC voltage different than the first DC voltage; and changing a direction of movement of the plurality of nanofibers between the spinneret and the collector with a plurality of magnets having a magnetic field by adjusting the magnetic field.

The disclosed materials, methods, and apparatus, provide novel ultra-high temperature materials (UHTM) in fibrous forms/structures; such “fibrous materials” can take various forms, such as individual filaments, short-shaped fiber, tows, ropes, wools, textiles, lattices, nano/microstructures, mesostructured materials, and sponge-like materials. At least four important classes of UHTM materials are disclosed in this invention: (1) carbon, doped-carbon and carbon alloy materials, (2) materials within the boron-carbon-nitride-X system, (3) materials within the silicon-carbon-nitride-X system, and (4) highly-refractory materials within the tantalum-hafnium-carbon-nitride-X and tantalum-hafnium-carbon-boron-nitride-X system. All of these material classes offer compounds/mixtures that melt or sublime at temperatures above 1800° C.—and in some cases are among the highest melting point materials known (exceeding 3000° C.). In many embodiments, the synthesis/fabrication is from gaseous, solid, semi-solid, liquid, critical, and supercritical precursor mixtures using one or more low molar mass precursor(s), in combination with one or more high molar mass precursor(s). Methods for controlling the growth, composition, and structures of UHTM materials through control of the thermal diffusion region are disclosed.

A method of making a multi-composition fiber is provided, which includes providing a precursor laden environment, and forming a fiber in the precursor laden environment using laser heating. The precursor laden environment includes a primary precursor material and an elemental precursor material. The formed fiber includes a primary fiber material and an elemental additive material, where the elemental additive material has too large an atom size to fit within a single crystalline domain within a crystalline structure of the fiber, and is deposited on grain boundaries between adjacent crystalline domains of the primary fiber material to present an energy barrier to atomic diffusion through the grain boundaries, and to increase creep resistance by slowing down growth between the adjacent crystalline domains of the primary fiber material.

The disclosed methods and apparatus improve the fabrication of solid fibers and microstructures. In many embodiments, the fabrication is from gaseous, solid, semi-solid, liquid, critical, and supercritical mixtures using one or more low molar mass precursor(s), in combination with one or more high molar mass precursor(s). The methods and systems generally employ the thermal diffusion/Soret effect to concentrate the low molar mass precursor at a reaction zone, where the presence of the high molar mass precursor contributes to this concentration, and may also contribute to the reaction and insulate the reaction zone, thereby achieving higher fiber growth rates and/or reduced energy/heat expenditures together with reduced homogeneous nucleation. In some embodiments, the invention also relates to the permanent or semi-permanent recording and/or reading of information on or within fabricated fibers and microstructures. In some embodiments, the invention also relates to the fabrication of certain functionally-shaped fibers and microstructures. In some embodiments, the invention may also utilize laser beam profiling to enhance fiber and microstructure fabrication.

A multi-composition fiber is provided including a primary fiber material and an elemental additive material deposited on grain boundaries between adjacent crystalline domains of the primary fiber material. A method of making a multi-composition fiber is also provided, which includes providing a precursor laden environment, and promoting fiber growth using laser heating. The precursor laden environment includes a primary precursor material and an elemental precursor material.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a ceramic nanowire preform, in particular to a process for the preparation of the ceramic nanowire preform by combining a template technique and a preceramic polymer conversion technique. The process of the present invention uses carbonaceous material as a template, and prepares an isotropic ceramic nanowire preform by controlling the ratio of a precursor to a solvent, the amount of a catalyst and the ratio of a prepared precursor solution to the carbonaceous template, wherein the preform is isotropic and has lower bulk density and higher volume fraction.