FABRICATION OF OPTICALLY TRANSPARENT SHORT-FIBER-REINFORCED CLASS MATRIX COMPOSITES

Optically transparent chopped oxynitride glass (SiAlCaON) fiber-reinfo rced glass matrix composites have been fabricated by hot-pressing, Fou r kinds of glass matrices were candidates in this study. The optical t ransmission properties of the composites were obtained in UV-visible a nd IR wavelength ranges, With selection of the optimal glass matrix an d an appropriate processing procedure, an optically transparent glass matrix composite can be obtained, Within the framework of this study, the optical transmittance was strongly dependent on the optical transm ittance of the hot-pressed glass matrix, The well-fabricated composite with a fiber volume fraction of 0.07 showed measured optical transmit tance of 35%-50% in the UV-visible wavelength region and 80% in the IR wavelength region.