Lightweight ceramic structures and method
AssigneeCorning Glass Works
InventorG. Daniel Lipp
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Abstract
Bonded ceramic matrix composite structures such as ceramic panels or beams, and a method for making them, are described, the structures comprising ceramic facing sheets to which are bonded one or an array of relatively thin-walled, hollow, high-stiffness channeled ceramic support elements, the support elements being of modular design with each support being formed by a continuous composite ceramic wall incorporating multidirectional fiber reinforcement and defining a central channel extending, in the bonded structure, in a direction generally parallel with the ceramic facing sheets.
Claims9
A bonded composite ceramic structure comprising at least one ceramic facing sheet and one or more channeled ceramic support elements bonded to the facing sheet and having channel axes generally parallel thereto;
- the facing sheet consisting of a sheet of composite ceramic material comprising a ceramic, glass or glass-ceramic matrix and an inorganic reinforcement phase disposed within the matrix;
- and
- each support element being formed of a continuous composite ceramic polyhedral wall defining a circumferentially enclosed elongated channel, the composite ceramic wall comprising a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic matrix phase and a fiber reinforcement phase consisting of a multiplicity of inorganic fibers disposed within the matrix phase, the fiber reinforcement phase comprising fibers or fiber groups which are multidirectionally oriented within said walls such that at least some of the inorganic fibers traverse the corners in the polyhedral wall, and such that the prevailing directions of the fibers fall within .+-.60.degree. of the direction of the channel axes of the channeled support elements.
A bonded composite ceramic structure comprising opposing ceramic facing sheets bonded to an array of channeled ceramic support elements positioned therebetween, the support elements having channel axes generally parallel with the facing sheets;
- each facing sheet consisting of a sheet of composite ceramic material comprising a ceramic, glass or glass-ceramic matrix and an inorganic reinforcement phase disposed within the matrix;
- each support element being formed of a continuous composite polyhedral ceramic wall defining a circumferentially enclosed elongated channel, the composite ceramic wall comprising a glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic matrix phase and a fiber reinforcement phase consisting of a multiplicity of inorganic fibers disposed within the matrix phase, the fiber reinforcement phase comprising fibers or fiber groups which are multidirectionally oriented within said walls such that at least some of the inorganic fibers traverse the corners in the polyhedral wall, and such that the prevailing directions of the fibers fall within .+-.60.degree. of the direction of the channel axes of the channeled support elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.