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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/M60828/02
Title: RAPID PROCESSING OF CONTINUOUS FIBRE REINFORCED CERAMIC MATRIX COMPOSITES
Principal Investigator: Binner, Professor J
Other Investigators:
Cross, Dr TE
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Ministry of Defence (MOD) Rolls-Royce Plc (UK)
Department: Materials
Organisation: Loughborough University
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 23 March 2000 Ends: 22 July 2003 Value (£): 145,441
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Materials Processing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Aerospace, Defence and Marine
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
The current proposal is aimed at process technology improvements leading to radically shortened production times and significantly reduced costs for the manufacture of continuous fibre reinforced ceramic matrix composites. It will bring together a multidisciplinary research team from Nottingham University, DERA and Rolls Royce.The work seeks to utilise the inverse temperature profile which develops on microwave heating ceramic fibre preforms. When combined with chemical vapour infiltration densification occurs from the inside out, resulting in an order of magnitude reduction in processing time. The proposed project will a) develop an experimentally validated model of the temperature and deposition profile in small (50mm diam. X 10mm thick) samples; b) investigate the potential for using a hybrid heating system to improve the deposition characteristics towards the end of the process; c) investigate the potential for using interfacial coatings on the fibre of the preform and the electrophoretic deposition of SiC particulates between the tows; d) seek to scale up the process to large 200 x 25 x 10 mm thick components.A range of characterisation techniques will be utilised including elevated temperature dielectric property measurement, SEM, EDX, XRD, density measurement, image analysis and, towards the end of the project, strength measurement.
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.lboro.ac.uk