Developments in Oxide Fiber Composites

Prospects for revolutionary design of future power generation systems are contingent on the development of durable high-per-formance ceramic composites. With recent discoveries in mate-rials and manufacturing concepts, composites with all-oxide constituents have emerged as leading candidates, especially for components requiring a long service life in oxidizing environ-ments. Their insertion into engineering systems is imminent. The intent of this article is to present a synopsis of the current understanding of oxide composites as well as to identify out-standing issues that require resolution for successful implemen-tation. Emphasis is directed toward material systems and microstructural concepts that lead to high toughness and long-term durability. These include: the emergence of La monazite and related compounds as fiber-coating materials, the introduc-tion of the porous-matrix concept as an alternative to fiber coatings, and novel strategies for enabling damage tolerance while retaining long-term morphological stability. Additionally, materials and mechanics models that provide insights into ma-terial design, morphology evolution, and composite properties are reviewed. I