Patent ID: 8236718

Claim:
An oxidation resistant, continuous-fiber-reinforced ceramic composition, the composition being durable at temperatures above 1000° C., the composition being capable of taking on any arbitrary near net shape as formed without machining and tooling, the composition comprising; a. a fine grained ceramic matrix, the matrix comprising a mixture of a MB x phase, wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Zr and Hf, and x ranges from 1 to 4 and a SiC phase, the matrix being reinforced with a material selected from the group consisting of SiC fiber, C fiber and oxide fiber, the matrix comprising domain sizes ≦0.5 μm, the matrix being formed by mixing a liquid precursor of MB x wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Zr and Hf wherein the ratio of Boron to M in the precursor capable of ranging from about 1:1 to 4:1 with polymeric precursors of SiC and pyrolyzing the resulting mixture; and b. a fiber-reinforced composite with a high degree of filling and densification of its preform resulting in a composition containing a low level of porosity and high fiber volume fraction.