Slurry infiltration of sacrificial material

A process for fabricating a melt-infiltrated ceramic matrix composite, comprising the steps of:

• fabricating a ceramic fiber preform comprising at least one fiber, at least one fiber tow, or at least one fiber and fiber tow;
• optionally depositing an interface coating on the at least one fiber, the at least one fiber tow, or the at least one fiber and fiber tow;
• depositing a structural support material on the at least one fiber, the at least one fiber tow, or the at least one fiber and fiber tow to form a partially densified ceramic matrix composite comprising at least one pore, at least one porous network or at least one pore and porous network;
• preparing at least one slurry composition comprising at least one sacrificial particle;
• infiltrating the slurry composition into the partially densified ceramic matrix composite and depositing the at least one sacrificial particle into the at least one pore, the at least one porous network or the at least one pore and porous network;
• supercritical drying a slurry infiltrated partially densified ceramic matrix composite;
• melt-infiltrating a sublimated partially densified ceramic matrix composite to form a melt-infiltrated ceramic matrix composite;
• and
• optionally heat treating the melt-infiltrated ceramic matrix composite.

A melt-infiltrated ceramic matrix composite fabricated according to the process comprising the steps of:

• fabricating a ceramic fiber preform comprising at least one fiber, at least one fiber tow, or at least one fiber and fiber tow;
• optionally depositing an interface coating on the at least one fiber, the at least one fiber tow, or the at least one fiber and fiber tow;
• depositing a structural support material on the at least one fiber, the at least one fiber tow, or the at least one fiber and fiber tow to form a partially densified ceramic matrix composite comprising at least one pore, at least one porous network or at least one pore and porous network;
• preparing at least one slurry composition comprising at least one sacrificial particle;
• infiltrating the slurry composition into the partially densified ceramic matrix composite and depositing the at least one sacrificial particle into the at least one pore, the at least one porous network or the at least one pore and porous network;
• drying a slurry infiltrated partially densified ceramic matrix composite;
• melt-infiltrating a sublimated partially densified ceramic matrix composite to form a melt-infiltrated ceramic matrix composite;
• and
• optionally heat treating the melt-infiltrated ceramic matrix composite.