Today, the use of CFRP and GFRP composites is limited to low temperature applications up to about 200 °C. On the other hand, high-priced and high-performance fiber-reinforced ceramics are available that can be used for applications up to 1200 °C and above. However, there is still a great need for lightweight and low-cost materials for applications in the temperature range between 300 and 800 °C, e.g. in metal and glass casting or melting industry as well as in chemical engineering. Polymer-based composites (PMC) cannot be used in such industrial environments, and conventional Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) are usually too expensive due to high-priced fibers and complex processing.

The basis for successful material development to reduce the cost of CMCs is to use low-cost and temperature-resistant basalt or glass fibers instead of ceramic or carbon fibers. Composites based on these fibers with high thermomechanical stability can only be achieved in combination with specific ceramic matrices. These matrices can be made, for example, from ceramic precursor resins or geopolymers. In contrast to conventional CMC, no high-temperature sintering step is required, which on the one hand enables the use of cost-effective fiber types with lower maximum operating temperature and on the other hand allows energy and cost savings to be realized.

To ensure cost-effective and reproducible component production, prepreg processes based on prefabricated textiles are proposed. The main advantage here is a high degree of automation in the production of fiber-matrix semi-finished products. For their further processing into components, cost-intensive process steps such as autoclave processing or post-infiltration must be avoided. In this context, automated winding and laying of prepreg fiber tapes has great potential for cost-effective and scalable production of low-cost CMC components.

This manufacturing concept was successfully demonstrated using the example of metal-CMC hybrid tubes consisting of a gas-tight metallic inner tube body and a creep-resistant ceramic fiber jacket.