Status quo and future trend on R&D for high temperature and high performance ceramic fibers derived from polymers

Abstract

Several kinds of SiC-based ceramic fibers are presently fabricated on an industrial scale using precursor polymers. The Si-C-O ceramic fiber that was first developed in 1975, has high tensile strength and relatively high heat resistance. The Si-Ti-C-O fibers emerged after the Si-C-O fiber was developed. These fibers have been applied as reinforcement for aluminum wire, glass-ceramics, or silicon carbide matrix composite materials. Through the research work on these fiber reinforced metal or ceramic matrix composites, these fibers have increased heat resistance. In the past ten years, a new fabrication process of the fiber, a radiation curing method, has been developed. In addition, the conversion process of polymer precursors to ceramics and the thermal stability of the fibers have been widely studied at high-temperatures ranging above 1500 K. These research works have successfully produced excellent SiC-based ceramic fibers with high-temperature resistance. These fibers are mainly prepared from polycarbosilane family polymers. In the future, in order to strengthen the ceramic fibers and to establish a low-cost fabrication process, more effective precursor polymers will need to be developed.