SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composite

Silicon carbide fibers in SiC matrix for jet turbine blades.

Core Principles & Analysis

• SiC/SiC turbine shrouds entered commercial airline service in 2016 inside the CFM LEAP engine.
• SiC/SiC parts are roughly one-third the density of the nickel superalloys they replace and tolerate higher gas temperatures with less cooling air.
• A boron nitride coating on each fiber lets fibers debond and pull out of the matrix, giving the ceramic a graceful, non-brittle failure mode.

Specifications & Metrics

• DENSITY: 2.70 g/cm³
• YIELD STRENGTH: 350 MPa
• HARDNESS: N/A