Reduced Cost 2700F CMC Component Manufacturing

In this Navy Phase I SBIR Program, MATECH proposes to leverage its lengthy experience in ceramic matrix composite (CMC) fabrication with recent advances in Field Assisted Sintering Technology (FAST) to demonstrate dramatic cost reduction and improved CMC performance. FAST is also known as"Spark Plasma Sintering"(SPS). MATECH proposes to team with Thermal Technology Inc., the leader in SPS processing and equipment manufacturing, in executing this proposed program. As part of its"Defense Wide Manufacturing Science and Technology Program,"OSD has separately identified both CMCs and FAST (Frequency Assisted Sintering Technology) as key areas of interest. This proposed effort aims to integrate these two OSD identified manufacturing science and technology focus areas. As will be described in more detail later in this proposal, field assisted sintering technology can consolidate materials in as short an active process time as 2 minutes! FAST has been demonstrated for metals, glasses, ceramics, and nano-composite materials. Little information is available in the public domain, however, about the application of FAST to CMC fabrication. Given the lack of an experience base in applying FAST to CMCs, MATECH proposes initiating this effort by focusing on the fundamentals.