Patent ID: 8491963

Claim:
A chemical vapor infiltration method for densifying thin porous substrates with a material that is deposited therein, the method comprising: providing a reaction chamber of an infiltration oven including first and second plates, each plate having a side face disposed in registration with and opposing the side face of the other plate, and each plate having corresponding slotted portions disposed on the side faces, the reaction chamber further including a longitudinal tubular duct disposed along an axis of the reaction chamber within a space between the first and second plates, the longitudinal duct including a plurality of orifices opening to the space between the opposing side faces to enable a reactive gas to be admitted to or removed from the duct; loading substrates for densification inside the reaction chamber of the infiltration oven, comprising holding the substrates within the slotted portions of the side faces in the space between the first and second plates in axial alignment with the axis of the reaction chamber and extending along the axial extent of the longitudinal duct, and extending radially outwardly from the longitudinal duct at points spaced circumferentially about the longitudinal duct; admitting close to a first longitudinal end of the reaction chamber a reactive gas containing at least one precursor of the material to be deposited; and removing the residual gas through an outlet situated close to the longitudinal end of the reaction chamber opposite its first end, wherein the reactive gas is distributed along main faces of the substrates in a flow direction that is essentially radial.