Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC)

Fiber-reinforced ceramics (ceramic matrix composites, CMC) offer a versatile material basis for saving energy and resources. Whether in applications for temperature-stressed components or at particularly high damage tolerance, abrasion resistance and resistance in corrosive media – CMCs are increasingly being used in vehicle construction as well as energy and heat technology. For the use under extreme thermal loads, corrosion-resistant coatings (environmental barrier coatings, EBC) are applied to the fiber-reinforced ceramics. The EBCs are adapted to the ambient conditions and offer reliable protection against oxidation and hot gas corrosion.

Range of Services

• Development, production and characterization of oxide and non-oxide CMCs
• Application-oriented development of short or long fiber-reinforced ceramic composite materials
• Optimization of ceramic matrices with regard to their material use (strength, corrosion resistance)
• Fiber-matrix interfaces for damage-tolerant fracture behavior
• Development of corrosion-resistant coatings (environmental barrier coatings) for ceramic matrix composites and their characterization in flowing oxidative and corrosive media (hot gas tests)
  Reinforcement of ceramic tubes

Technical equipment

• Industrial fiber winding plant for the production of CMCs on winding technology
• Hot press for shaping precursor-based CMCs
• Furnace technology for debinding, pyrolysis and sintering of composite materials in different reactive and inert atmospheres
• Corrosion test for gas turbine-like conditions (1100-1450 °C at 100 m/s flow velocity)
• Special instrumentation for the structural characterization and mechanical testing of fiber composite materials such as circular ring test and single fiber push-out test

Areas of application / references

• Corrosion-resistant coatings for ceramics and fiber composites
• Heat pipes for the application in stationary gas and steam turbines
• Brake discs for automotive, rail vehicles and aviation