The use of electrophoretic deposition for the fabrication of ceramic and glass matrix composites

The use of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) to fabricate fibre reinforced ceramic and glass matrix composites is reviewed. EPD is used to infiltrate 2- or 3-dimensional fibre architectures with nanosized ceramic particles The available literature shows that numerous fibre/matrix combinations have been investigated, including SiC, carbon, stainless steel and oxide ceramic fibres and silica, borosilicate glass, alumina, zirconia, mullite, titania, cordierite, hydroxyapatite, SiC and Si(3)N(4) matrices. An example of the use of EPD to produce novel yttrium disilicate (Y(2)Si(2)O(7)) coatings on bulk SiC/SiC composites and on woven SiC based (Nicalon(R)) fibre mats is presented in this paper. Experimental results show that if the correct process parameters are chosen. Ceramic particles can be deposited onto the fibres forming a well adherent layer, which leads to pore-free composites after heat treatment. It is also shown that EPD is a versatile method for near-net shape fabrication of 3-D composites of non-planar shapes. Future R&D work in the field should concentrate on the production of composite components in complex shapes, for which EPD may represent the most technically viable and cost-effective fabrication option.