DEVELOPMENT OF COATINGS FOR FIBERS INCORPORATED IN HIGH TEMPERATURE COMPOSITE MATERIALS

DARPA HAS IDENTIFIED A NEED FOR NEW AND IMPROVED TECHNIQUES FOR COATING CERAMIC FIBERS FOR SUBSEQUENT INCORPORATION INTO METALLIC, CERAMIC OR HYBRID MATRICES. AMERICAN MATRIX, INC.'S PHASE I PROGRAM ADDRESSES THE SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCE ATTRIBUTES (DEFINED BY DARPA AS INTERFACE CHEMICAL REACTION INHIBITION, INTERFACE BOND DEVELOPMENT,AND TAILORED PROPERTIES) WITH A MULTI-FACETED COATING PROGRAM. SELECTING SIC DISCONTINUOUS FIBERS AS THE COATING VEHICLE, AMERICAN MATRIX WILL INVESTIGATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING ORGANO-CHLOROSILANE COUPLING AGENTS, LIQUID PHASE METALORGANICS, AND SELECTED METALS AS COATING AGENTS. PROPRIETARY APPLICATION AND BONDING PROCESSESS WILL BE USED TO APPLY THE COATINGS TO THE FIBRES. A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION PROGRAM WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE THE BEST COATING SYSTEM AND PERMIT SELECTION OF CANDIDATE SYSTEMS FOR A PHASE II DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.