Fiber Reinforced Lightweight Silicon Carbide Mirrors And Telescope

CCI WILL INVESTIGATE NOVEL CHEMICAL VAPOR INFILTRATION (CVI) PROCESSING TECHNIQUES TO DEMONSTRATE A COMPOSITE MATERIAL CERAMIC (CMC) FABRICATION PROCESS FOR SILICON CARBIDE (SIC) MIRRORS AND OPTICAL COMPONENTS. THE PROPOSED METHOD WILL COMBINE THE CVI OF A REINFORCED FIBROUS CVD/SIC WITH THE REPLICATION PROCESS OF BULK CVD/SiC MIRROR FACESHEET AND A PREFORM LIGHTWEIGHT STRUCTURE OF CVI REINFORCED FIBROUS CVD/SiC. THE MAIN AIM OF THE EFFORT IS TO DEVELOP THE SiC SUBSTRATE MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY WITH SUBSTANTIALLY BETTER FRACTURE TOUGHNESS CAPABILITY AND IMPROVED CRYOGENIC PERFORMANCE. THE BENEFIT WOULD BE AN OPTICAL SUBSTRATE MATERIAL PROCESS TO FABRICATE HIGH PERFORMANCE SPACEBASED OPTICAL COMPONENTS AT A MUCH LOWER COST.