Processing and properties of an oxide/oxide composite

Oxide/oxide composites offer the potential for high temperature structural materials with long term oxidative stability. A concept for such a structural material with a goal use temperature of 1200 degrees C is described and current progress in developing this material is reported. The concept is to use an alumina-based woven-tow fiber preform, coated with a lanthanum phosphate (monazite) interphase boundary to promote fiber debonding and pullout, in an oxide matrix derived from an actively-filled preceramic-polymer matrix. This choice of matrix enables use of conventional polymer matrix composite fabrication technology.