Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-grxwn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-29T23:52:34.611Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Advances in Modeling of the Chemical Vapor Infiltration Process

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

Thomas L. Starr
Thomas L. Starr*
Affiliation:
Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA
Get access

Abstract

The technology of chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) has progressed dramatically over the past twenty-five years and stands now as the leading process for fabrication of high temperature structures using ceramic matrix composites. Modeling techniques also have advanced from extensions of catalyst theory to full 3-D finite element code with provision for temperature and pressure gradients. These modeling efforts offer insight into critical factors in the CVI process, suggest opportunities for further advances in process technology and provide a tool for integrating the design and manufacture of advanced components.

Early modeling identified the competition between reaction and diffusion in the CVI process and the resulting trade-off between densification rate and uniformity. Modeling of forced flow/thermal gradient CVI showed how the evolution of material transport properties provides a self-optimizing feature to this process variation.

“What-if” exercises with CVI models point toward potential improvements from tailoring of the precursor chemistry and development of special preform architectures.

As a link between component design and manufacture, CVI modeling can accelerate successful application of ceramic composites to advanced aerospace and energy components.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 250: Symposium R – Chemical Vapor Deposition of Refractory Metals and Ceramics II , 1991 , 207
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Lackey, W. J. and Starr, T. L., in Fiber Reinforced Ceramic Composites: Materials. Processina, and Technology, edited by Mazdiyasni, K. S. (Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ, 1990), p. 397–450; T. H. Besmann, B. W. Sheldon, R. A. Lowden and D. P. Stinton, Science 253, 1104 (1991).Google Scholar
2. Bickerdike, R.L., Brown, A.R.G., Hughes, G. and Ranson, H., in Proceedings of the fifth conference on carbon, (Pergamon press, New York, 1962), pp. 575–582Google Scholar
3. Damkohler, G., Chem. Ing. 3,430 (1937); E.W. Thiele, Ind. Eng. Chem. 31, 91 (1939).Google Scholar
4. Fitzer, E., Hegen, D. and Strohmeier, H., in Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Chemical Vapor Deposition, edited by T. O. Sedgwick and J. Lydtin. (Electrochemical Society, Incorporated, Pennington, NJ, 1990) pp. 506–512.Google Scholar
5. Rossignal, J.Y., Langlais, F. and Naslain, R., in Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Chemical Vapor Deposition, edited by McD. Robinson, C.H.J. van den Breckel, G.W. Cullen, J.M.J. Blocher and P. Rai-Choudhury (The Electrochemical Society, Incorporated, Pennington, NJ, 1984), pp. 596–614Google Scholar
6. Jenkin, William C., U. S. Patent No. 3 160 517 (8 December 1964).Google Scholar
7. Caputo, A. J. and Lackey, W. J., Ceram. Eng. Sci. Pro. 5, 654–667 (1984).Google Scholar
8. Starr, T.L., in Proceedings of the Tenth International Conference on Chemical Vapor Deposition, edited by G.W. Cullen (The Electrochemical Society, Incorporated, Pennington, NJ, 1987), pp. 1147–1155Google Scholar
9. Middleman, S., J. Mater. Res. 4, 1515–1524 (1989).Google Scholar
10. Besmann, T. M., Sheldon, B. W., Moss, T. S. and Kaster, M. D., J. Amer. Ceram. Soc., in press.Google Scholar
11. Starr, T.L., Ceram. Eng. Sci. Proc. 8, 951–957 (1987); R.P. Currier, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 73, 2274–2280 (1990).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12. Tomadakis, M. M. and Sotirchos, S. V., AIChE J. 37, 1175–1186 (1991).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13. Kozeny, J., Wasserkraft Wasserwirtsch 22, 67 (1927).Google Scholar
14. Starr, T. L. and Smith, A. W., in preparation.Google Scholar
15. Starr, T. L. and Stinton, D. P., in Proceedings of the American Society of Composites, Fifth Technical Conference, edited by L. T. Drzal (Technomic Publishing, Lancaster, PA, 1990) pp. 765–773.Google Scholar
16. Tawil, H., Bentsen, L. D., Baskaran, S. and Hasselman, D. P., J. Mat. Sci. 20, 3201–3212 (1985).Google Scholar
17. Starr, T. L. and Smith, A. W., in Chemical Vapor Deposition of Refractory Metals and Ceramics, edited by Besmann, T. M. and Gallois, B. M. (Mat. Res. Soc. Sym. Proc. 168, Pittsburgh, PA 1990) pp. 55–60; R.R. Melkote and K.F. Jensen, Chemical Vapor Deposition of Refractory Metals and Ceramics, pp.506–512; S.M. Gupte and J.A. Tsamopoulos, J. Electrochem. Soc. 137, 3675–3682 (1990); G. Chung and B.J. McCoy, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 74, 746–751 (1991).Google Scholar
18. Fitzer, E., Fritz, W. and Gadow, R., in Advances in Ceramics, edited by Somiya, S. (KTK Scientific, Tokyo, 1983).Google Scholar
19. Besmann, T. M., Moss, T. S. and McLaughlin, J. C., presented at the 16th Annual Conference on Composites and Advanced Ceramics, Cocoa Beach, FL, 1992 (unpublished); T. L. Starr and A. W. Smith, the 16th Annual Conference on Composites and Advanced Ceramics.Google Scholar
20. Starr, T. L., Smith, A. W. and Vinyard, G. F., Ceram. Eng. Sci. Proc. 12, 2017 (1991).CrossRefGoogle Scholar