Lithium thio-phosphorus oxynitride glasses, LiPOSN, have been prepared by mechanical milling process from the mixture of Li2S and LiPON glass. The anionic substitution of oxygen by sulphur and nitrogen in the phosphate glass structure has been confirmed by 1D 31P solid state nuclear magnetic resonance and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The study of thermal and electrical properties reveals a decrease in the glass transition temperature, likely due to the depolymerization of glass network by the decrease of bridging oxygens and sulphurs, along with a sharp increase in the ionic conductivity when lithium sulphide is incorporated into the oxynitride glasses. The improvement of chemical durability by the introduction of nitrogen, together with the increase in ionic conductivity up to values closed to the value of commercial LiPON thin film electrolyte, suggests that these LiPOSN glasses could be good candidates as solid electrolytes for lithium microbatteries.

An infiltration process that uses silica sol-gel solutions was developed to protect C/SiC composites against oxidation. The infiltration is assisted using isostatic pressure. Different process parameters including substrate porosity and solution concentration and viscosity were varied to optimize the infiltration effectiveness. Applied pressure enhances penetration of solutions, reducing the importance of viscosity, an important process variable for dipping infiltration. The effectiveness of the isostatic pressure infiltration method, evaluated through the total weight gains and pore-size distribution of infiltrated samples, is compared with results of dipping infiltration. The oxidation behavior of the infiltrated samples, was evaluated by stepwise oxidation test as well as isothermal tests at 1200 and 1600 °C. The infiltrated SiO2 protects the C/SiC substrate, reducing the burnoff rate of C fibers at low temperature and delaying the oxidation of SiC.

Oxidation resistance of ceramic matrix composites (CMC) of SiC reinforced with C fibers (C/SiC) can be improved by filling the residual porosity. The aim of this work was to design and analyze a dipping infiltration process under ambient conditions (1 atm pressure and room temperature) with silica sol-gel solutions prepared from tetraethyl orthosilicate. Different substrates and solutions have been studied. Thermal treatments, i.e., curing or sintering between infiltrations, increase the efficiency of the process since the densification of infiltrated silica opens up the remaining porosity. Increasing viscosity and/or concentration of the solution lead to greater weight gains. Weight gains are higher in the initial stages of the process because larger diameter porosity remains unfilled. As the process advances, the average pore size decreases, and only the lower viscosity solution can enter the residual porosity.