Manufacturing of a ceramic article from a metal preform or metal matrix composite preform provided by 3D-printing or 3D-weaving

Method of manufacturing a ceramic article, the method comprising:

• providing a metal or metal matrix composite preform,
• placing the preform in a heating chamber,
• heating the heating chamber by applying a predetermined time-temperature profile in order to controllably react the preform with a gas introduced into the heating chamber,
• wherein the metal, the gas and the time-temperature profile are chosen so as to induce a metal-gas reaction resulting in at least a part of the preform transforming into a ceramic,
• wherein the time-temperature profile comprises a first oxidation stage in which the heating chamber is heated to below the melting point of the metal to allow metal-gas reaction in order to form a supporting oxide layer at the surface of the metal followed by a second stage in which the heating chamber is heated to a temperature above the melting point of the metal to increase the kinetics of the chemical reaction, wherein the first stage has a duration resulting in a thick enough oxide layer forming so that the article does not slump when heated to more elevated temperatures in the second stage, and a contiguous oxide layer forming so that the not yet reacted metal does not leak out when melting during the second stage,
• wherein there is a third stage in which the heating chamber is heated to a higher temperature than in the second stage so that phase transformation of the ceramic material takes place, and
• wherein the preform is provided by 3D-printing or by 3D-weaving.