ADVANCES IN CERAMIC COMPOSITES REINFORCED BY CONTINUOUS FIBERS

Ceramic matrix composites reinforced with continuous fibers are on the verge of insertion into hot engineering structures. Yet current resea rch is only beginning to attack some of the most critical problems. Ke y developments in the last 24 months include the formulation of consti tutive laws for continuum mechanics analyses; the discovery of stable weak oxide-oxide interface systems; the analysis of how fiber creep li mits life at high temperatures; confrontation of the problem of oxidat ion pesting at intermediate temperatures in SiC based systems; re-exam ination of the maxim that interfaces must be weak; and the advent of t extile reinforcement as the solution to delamination problems. (C) Cur rent Chemistry Ltd