Fusion Materials & Components, Subtopic a. Structural Materials & Insulating Coatings

50306-98-I Fusion Materials & Components, Subtopic a. Structural Materials & Insulating Coatings--TPL, Inc, 3921 Academy Parkway North, NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109-4416; (505) 342-4414 Dr. Stuart T. Schwab, Principal Investigator Dr. William F. Hartman, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82697 Amount: $75,000 Current methods of producing silicon carbide fiber reinforced silicon carbide (SiC/SiC) composites are slow, costly, and do not yield sufficient thermal conductivity for fusion reactor applications. The most conductive SiC/SiC contains elemental silicon, which limits service temperature, and may not be compatible with a high radiation. Polymer infiltration/pyrolysis (PIP) processing is a new manufacturing method that, when combined with electromagnetic (EM) heating, can produce high thermal conductivity SiC/SiC rapidly and cheaply. In Phase I, PIP processing will be integrated with EM heating, and the EM-PIP process will be used to make SiC/SiC composites for testing under fusion service conditions. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: Commercial applications include aircraft, gas turbine engines, waste incinerators, and chemical process equipment. The EM-PIP process will reduce the cost of SiC/SiC to the point at which it can replace many metals in common applications._