Method of fabricating a glass-ceramic matrix composite

A method of fabricating a glass matrix composite, the method comprising:

• providing a fiber preform in a cavity of a die tooling, the fiber preform circumscribing an interior region and initially having a first size, and the fiber preform being formed of fibers selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide fibers, carbon fibers, Si3N4 fibers, SiBCN fibers, SiCN fibers, SiOC, SiAlOC fibers, SiZrOC fibers, SiTiOC fibers, B4C fibers, ZrC fibers, HfC fibers, alumino silicate fibers, Al2O3fibers, ZrO2 fibers, and combinations thereof;
• providing a parison of glass matrix material in the interior region;
• introducing pressurized inert gas into the parison to outwardly inflate the parison against the fiber preform, the pressure causing the glass matrix material to compress the fiber preform to a second size against the mold tool and also flow and infiltrate into the fiber preform to thereby form a consolidated workpiece;
• and
• cooling the consolidated workpiece to thereby form a glass matrix composite.

A method of fabricating a glass matrix composite, the method comprising:

• providing a fiber preform in a cavity of a die tooling, the fiber preform circumscribing an interior region;
• providing a parison of glass matrix material in the interior region, the glass matrix material having a first viscosity;
• introducing pressurized inert gas into the parison, the pressurized inert gas causing the parison to outwardly inflate against the fiber preform;
• while outwardly inflated against the fiber preform and under pressure from the pressurized inert gas, decreasing the first viscosity of the glass matrix material to a second viscosity, the first viscosity being greater than the second viscosity by a factor of at least 10, the pressure and the second viscosity causing the glass matrix material to flow and infiltrate into the fiber preform to thereby form a consolidated workpiece;
• and
• cooling the consolidated workpiece to thereby form a glass matrix composite.