Patent ID: 8899939

Claim:
A process comprising: providing a reinforcing material; providing a precursor slurry composition including a thermosetting resin, a curing agent, a ceramic component, a carbonaceous solids component that includes at least a carbon-containing filler, and optionally a solvent, wherein the thermosetting resin is at least one member selected from a polyester, a vinyl ester, and a bismaleimide resin, wherein the thermosetting resin and the curing agent are present in the precursor slurry composition to yield a cure time of less than fifteen minutes, wherein the thermosetting resin forms carbon char upon pyrolization, and wherein the carbon char and the filler of the carbonaceous solids component provide a final carbon yield; impregnating the reinforcing material with the precursor slurry composition to form a working material; drying the working material to remove substantially all the solvent, if present, wherein the dried working material comprises greater than 30 volume % to about 70 volume % solids attributable to the carbonaceous solids component.