Glass-ceramic joining and coating of SiC/SiC for fusion applications

The aim of this work is the joining and the coating of SiC/SiC composites by a simple, pressureless, low cost technique. A calcia-alumina glass-ceramic was chosen as joining and coating material, because its thermal and thermomechanical properties can be tailored by changing the composition, it does not contain boron oxide (incompatible with fusion applications) and it has high characteristic temperatures (softening point at about 1400 degrees C). Furthermore, the absence of silica makes this glass-ceramic compatible with ceramic breeder materials (i.e. lithium-silicates, -alluminates or -zirconates). Coatings and joints were successfully obtained with Hi-Nicalon fiber-reinforced CVI silicon carbide matrix composite. Mechanical shear strength tests were performed on joined samples and the compatibility with a ceramic breeder material was examined. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.