MOLYBDENUM DISILICIDE MATRIX COMPOSITES BY SLIP CASTING

ALTHOUGH MOLYBDENUM DISILICIDE (MOSI2) EXHIBITS HIGH-TEMPERATURE CHEMICAL STABILITY AND HAS A MELTING POINT OF 2010 DEGREES CENTIGRADE, THE LACK OF ROOM-TEMPERATURE FRACTURE TOUGHNESS AND POOR HIGH-TEMPERATURE CREEP RESISTANCE HAVE SEVERELY LIMITED ITS STRUCTURAL APPLICATIONS. THEREFORE, IT IS DESIRED TO FABRICATE COMPOSITES USING MOSI2, AS THE MATRIX MATERIAL. UNLIKE THE CONVENTIONAL CVI PROCESS, WE PROPOSE A NOVEL SLIP CASTING TECHNIQUE TO FABRICATE SUCH COMPOSITES. THIS TECHNIQUE IS A MODERATE-TEMPERATURE, NET-SHAPE PROCESS WITH THE ADVANTAGES OF SHORTER PROCESSING TIME AS COMPARED TO CVI, LOW COSTDUE TO THE REDUCTION IN PROCESSING TIME AND PROCESSING TEMPERATURE, ETC. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS - IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE PROPOSED SLIP CASTING PROCESS WILL PROVIDE AN ECONOMICAL PATH IN FABRICATING MOSI2 MATRIX COMPOSITES. THE NET-SHAPE FORMING CAPABILITY OF THIS PROCESS ELIMINATES THE PROBLEMS OF JOINING DIFFERENT MATERIALS. THE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS INCLUDE WHERE MATERIALS ARE REQUIRED TO EXHIBIT EXCELLENT OXIDATION RESISTANCE AND HIGH MECHANICAL STRENGTH.