5. Conclusion

CMCs have been studied and developed since the 1970s. Several scientific and technological breakthroughs have made it possible to industrialize them: their "defragilization" by optimizing the fiber/matrix bond by introducing an interphase, and the development of a densification process using CVI. Self-healing is another breakthrough that has considerably extended the service life of CMC parts. Parts produced by the CVI process have high mechanical properties that are well preserved at high temperatures, and these materials were initially used mainly for high value-added applications where part cost is not a limiting factor: military aeronautics and space. Major efforts are now being devoted to developing less expensive densification processes, so that these materials can be introduced into engines for civil aeronautics, a much more competitive field. Several parts can benefit from the low...