Thor Technologies, Inc. applies synthetic chemistry to problems in the manufacturing of ceramic materials, particularly ceramic coatings and fiber-reinforced composites. Ceramic coatings under development include aluminum nitride and boron nitride, as well as zirconia and other oxide materials, and include methods for the repair of damaged thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) in combustion turbines. Ceramic materials under development include carbon and silicon carbide fiber reinforced silicon carbide, silicon nitride, boron nitride and refractory matrix materials, such as hafnium and zirconium diboride. The firm's processing method enables the manufacture of hybrid metal/ceramic composites in which low-density metals, such as copper, aluminum, steel, Inconel and other alloys, are co-processed with the ceramic composite to yield a component with integral metal features. These integral metal features can range from lugs to facilitate the attachment of the component to supporting metal structure, to coolant manifolds for actively cooled structures or metal-lined ceramic gun barrels.
