Status quo and future trend on R&D for high temperature and high performance ceramic fibers derived from polymers

Several kinds of SiC-based ceramic fibers are presently fabricated on an in dustrial scale using precursor polymers. The Si-C-O ceramic fiber that was first developed in 1975, has high tensile strength and relatively high heat resistance. The Si-Ti-C-O fibers emerged after the Si-C-O fiber was develo ped. These fibers have been applied as reinforcement for aluminum wire, gla ss-ceramics, or silicon carbide matrix composite materials. Through the res earch work on these fiber reinforced metal or ceramic matrix composites, th ese fibers have increased heat resistance. In the past ten years, a new fab rication process of the fiber, a radiation curing method, has been develope d. In addition, the conversion process of polymer precursors to ceramics an d the thermal stability of the fibers have been widely studied at high-temp eratures ranging above 1500 K. These research works have successfully produ ced excellent SiC-based ceramic fibers with high-temperature resistance. Th ese fibers are mainly prepared from polycarbosilane family polymers. In the future, in order to strengthen the ceramic fibers and to establish a low-c ost fabrication process, more effective precursor polymers will need to be developed.