ABSTRACT
Several relatively well developed processes for fabricating continuous fiber reinforced ceramics also utilize slurry processing. After fonning a fibrous preform by this method, one method of consolidating and densifying the matrix is hot pressing. This process has been developed to the greatest extent for production of glass and glass-ceramic matrix composites. (Glass-ceramics are glass systems that can be partially crystallized by heat treatment, or "ceraming," which changes material properties appreciably.) Work on carbon fiber reinforced glasses at Harwell in England in the early 1970s resulted in strengths of about 700 MPa, but problems with oxidation of the fibers and the poor perception of carbon reinforced composites in general resulted in suspension of work. l]
The major development of this method was subsequently done by Prewo and co-workers at United Technologies Research Corporation (UTRC). They too have worked to some extent with carbon fibers as the reinforcement, but emphasis has been on the more oxidation resistant silicon carbide base fibers. Considerable development of glass and glass-ceramic matrix composites has also been done at Coming Glass Works, and work has been reported from other organizations as well.
