Novel measuring method for prepreg processability of oxide fiber ceramic matrix composites

In this study, the processing behavior of pre-impregnated fabrics (prepregs) for the fabrication of ceramic matrix composites (CMC), specifically oxide fiber composites (OFC), was investigated. The evaluation of rheological slurry properties alone proved to be insufficient for the assessment of their suitability for the cold roll lamination process used in this work. Therefore, a novel testing method was developed, which determined the behavior of a prepreg stack in process-oriented conditions. This provided qualitative information not only on the squeeze flow of the slurry, but also on its ability to maintain this imposed level of compaction with no major rebounding throughout the following processing steps. Tests were performed with three different slurries and the results obtained corresponded well with the fabrication of full-scale OFC plates. Hence, the results gained by this novel method provide a more straight-forward approach for the evaluation of prepreg systems and quality control.