Manufacturing Properties of Turbine Blades of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced SiC Composite Based on Stereolithography

Abstract

In manufacturing turbine blades of SiC ceramic–matrix composite (CMC), the hybrid technique of stereolithography–gelcasting–reaction infiltration is presented, but the control of mechanical properties and manufacturing precision of turbine blades is a technical difficulty. The paper focuses on research on the effect of carbon fiber and SiC solid content on mechanical properties and manufacturing accuracy of SiC–CMC turbine blades. The results show that with the carbon fiber content increasing, the bending strength and fracture toughness of SiC–CMC turbine blades increase. When the carbon fiber content is within 10–15 vol%, the bending strength and fracture toughness reach their maximum values of 350 MPa and 4.49 MPa · m1/2, respectively. With the SiC solid content increasing, the shrinkage rate of turbine blades decreases, and their manufacturing accuracy is remarkably improved. The high-performance turbine blades of carbon fiber-reinforced SiC–CMC are successfully realized.