Fiber reinforced composite and method of making

A method of making a fiber reinforced composite comprising:

• infiltrating a preform with an electrophoretic gel, the preform having a perimeter and comprising a fiber structure, the preform in a tank of the electrophoretic gel;
• adding particles to wells located in the tank outside the preform perimeter;
• wherein the particles comprise nanoparticles having a size that is less than the diameter of the fibers used to make a tow;
• and wherein an initial coating of a matrix material is disposed onto the preform prior to infiltrating the preform with the electrophoretic gel and preforming electrophoresis;
• introducing the particles to the preform using gel electrophoresis, wherein a voltage is applied from multiple sides of the preform during the gel electrophoresis and the voltage is applied simultaneously or sequentially;
• removing the electrophoretic gel to result in a preform having embedded particles;
• and
• infiltrating the preform having embedded particles with the matrix material or a matrix material precursor, wherein
• 1) The preform comprises carbon fiber, SiC fiber, Al2O3—SiO2 fiber, silicon dioxide (SiO2) fiber, aluminum silicate fiber, aluminum oxide (Al2O3) fiber, titanium oxide (TiO2) fiber, zirconium silicate fiber, silicon nitride fiber, boron nitride (BN) fiber, and combinations thereof,
• 2) The particles comprise carbon (C), silicon oxide (SiO2), boron nitride (BN), boron carbide (B4C), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), zirconium boride (ZrB2), zinc oxide (ZnO2), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), and combinations thereof, and/or
• 3) The matrix material comprises carbon (C), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon oxide (SiO2), boron nitride (BN), boron carbide (B4C), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), zirconium boride (ZrB2), zinc oxide (ZnO2), molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), and combinations thereof.