Fabrication of Silicon Carbide Porous Body by Powder Space Holder-Polymer Impregnation and Pyrolysis Method

The hybrid process, Polymer Impregnation and Pyrolysis combined with Powder Space Holder (PSH-PIP) method, has been newly developed to improve the reliability in structure and mechanical properties of SiC/SiC composite. This process can yield an open micro-porous structure derived from a precursor polymer which is ready for being densified by a subsequent PIP processing. Systematic experimental study has been done for the effects of the size and the fraction of the space holding particles on the microstructure. Consequently, SiC porous bodies without any significant cracks were successfully obtained by achieving efficient gas purge and homogeneous thermal shrinkage.