Thermostructural composite material bowl

Abstract

A one-piece bowl of thermostructural composite material comprising fiber reinforcement densified by a matrix. The bowl is made by supplying deformable fiber in plies that are whole, being free from slots or cutouts, superposing said plies on a former of shape corresponding to the bowl to be made, deforming the plies, and bonding the superposed plies to one another by means of fibers extending transversely relative to the plies, e.g. by needling so as to obtain a bowl preform which is then densified. The bowl can be used as a support for a crucible in an installation for producing monocrystalline silicon.

1 . A bowl of thermostructural composite material formed by fiber reinforcement densified by a matrix, in which the fiber reinforcement comprises superposed two-dimensional fiber plies, the bowl being characterized in that the fiber plies are bonded together by fibers extending transversely relative to the plies.  
     
     
         2 . A bowl according to  claim 1 , characterized in that it is a one-piece bowl and has two-dimensional reinforcing plies that are whole, without cutouts or slots.  
     
     
         3 . A bowl according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the fiber plies are formed of unidirectional sheets superposed in different directions.  
     
     
         4 . A bowl according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the fiber plies are made of carbon fibers.  
     
     
         5 . A bowl according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the matrix is formed at least in part out of pyrolytic carbon.  
     
     
         6 . A bowl according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the matrix is made at least in part out of ceramic.  
     
     
         7 . A bowl according to  claim 6 , characterized in that the matrix is made at least in part out of silicon carbide.  
     
     
         8 . A bowl according to  claim 1 , characterized in that at least its inside face is coated in a layer of pyrolytic carbon.  
     
     
         9 . A bowl according to  claim 1 , characterized in that at least its inside face is coated in a layer of silicon carbide.  
     
     
         10 . The use of a bowl according to  claim 1  for supporting a crucible in an installation for producing monocyrstalline silicon ingots, the use being characterized in that a protective layer is interposed between the bowl and the crucible.  
     
     
         11 . A bowl according to  claim 10 , characterized in that a protective layer of thermostructural composite material is used.  
     
     
         12 . A bowl according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the fiber plies are formed of unidirectional sheets superposed in different directions.  
     
     
         13 . A bowl according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the matrix is made at least in part out of ceramic.  
     
     
         14 . A bowl according to  claim 7 , characterized in that at least its inside face is coated in a layer of pyrolytic carbon or silicon carbide.  
     
     
         15 . The use of a bowl according to  claim 14  for supporting a crucible in an installation for producing monocyrstalline silicon ingots, the use being characterized in that a protective layer is interposed between the bowl and the crucible, and characterized in that a protective layer of thermostructural composite material is used.