Method for pyrolyzing preceramic polymer material using electromagnetic radiation

A method for fabricating a ceramic material from a preceramic polymer material, the method comprising:

• providing a preform that includes a fiber structure and preceramic polymer material within the fiber structure, the preceramic polymer material includes a preceramic polymer and an electromagnetic radiation-responsive component, the electromagnetic radiation-responsive component is a metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, and combinations thereof, wherein the electromagnetic radiation-responsive component further includes at least one of nitrides of aluminum, nitrides of titanium, nitrides of zirconium, nitrides of hafnium, nitrides of tantalum, nitrides of tungsten, nitrides of rhenium, carbides of aluminum, carbides of titanium, carbides of zirconium, carbides of hafnium, carbides of tantalum, carbides of tungsten, carbides of rhenium and combinations thereof;
• and
• applying electromagnetic radiation to the preform, the electromagnetic radiation interacting with the electromagnetic radiation-responsive component to generate heat that converts the preceramic polymer to a ceramic phase, the ceramic phase being a matrix reinforced by the fiber structure.

A ceramic material comprising:

• a body formed of a ceramic phase, the ceramic phase having dispersed there through an electromagnetic radiation-responsive component that is a metal selected from the group consisting of cobalt, zirconium, hafnium, tantalum, rhenium, and combinations thereof, wherein the ceramic phase includes, by volume, 0.1%-10% of the electromagnetic radiation-responsive component.