Cost Analysis for the Manufacture of C/C-SiC Structural Parts

Kurzfassung

Low manufacturing costs are a fundamental requirement for a wide industrial usage of CMC materials. The LSI process offers the potential of a cost effective manufacture of CMC due to low raw material costs and short manufacturing times. Comparatively short processing times result from avoiding any reinfiltration steps and by taking advantage of the high capillarity of molten silicon into porous carbon and the therefore fast reaction time. This paper analyses the manufacture costs for exemplary C/C-SiC components produced by DLR's LSI process. Different application fields have been considered (research, aerospace, aeronautics, transportation). Four components have been chosen, which can be distinguished in terms of complexity, dimensions and potential maufacturing volume. The most important cost drivers and their influence on the material's price have been determined.