The present invention is a composite material, a process and a product formed by the process. The composite is formed by a process that includes forming a fibrous structure comprising fibers into a preform, coating the fibers of the fibrous structure preform with elemental carbon to impregnate that preform, infiltrating the preform with boron carbide to form an impregnated green body. The impregnated green body is infiltrated with liquid naphthalene or other carbon precursor, which is thereafter pyrolyzed to form a carbon char. Then, the char infiltrated green body is infiltrated with molten silicon to form a continuous matrix throughout the composite. The silicon in the continuous matrix is reacted with the carbon char to form silicon carbide.
Related Application  This non-provisional application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application serial no. 10/452,009, filed on June 2, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application serial no. 09/676,250, filed September 29, 2000. In addition, this non-provisional application also claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference, in its entirety, U.S. provisional patent application serial no. 60/475,991, filed on June 5, 2003.
Field of Invention  The present invention relates generally to ceramic matrix composites and more specifically to boron carbide based ceramic matrix composites for application to aircraft braking systems. More, particularly, this invention relates to a ceramic matrix composite generally having fine grain structure.
 Current aircraft braking systems utilize either steel or carbon disks that serve as the friction materials and heat sinks. Steel-based systems were originally used as brake materials, until the emergence of carbon-carbon (C-C) composite materials in the 1970s. C-C composites are now the state-of-the-art material for aircraft brake heat sinks and are being used in the vast majority of new military and large commercial aircraft programs.
 Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) exhibit some extraordinary thermal and mechanical properties and hold the promise of being outstanding materials for aircraft brake friction applications, as well as attractive candidates for the next generation heat sink materials for such applications. A particular CMC system that indeed possesses the potential for use as a next generation aircraft brake material, and offers potential breakthrough performance, has recently been identified. In particular, brake materials based on a boron carbide matrix composite melt infiltration system have been shown to offer extremely attractive benefits relative to both steel and carbon brake materials.  As a class of materials, ceramics are known to possess low density in comparison to steel and other metal alloys, high hardness and high oxidation resistance; some of them also have attractive heat capacity and thermal conductivity. Compared to the C-C used today, ceramics have the potential of providing some key performance advantages in terms of reduced wear rate, enhanced oxidation resistance, and reduced heat sink weight and/or volume.
 The earliest attempts to use using ceramics for aircraft braking system applications were based on monolithic ceramics and cermets. However, none of these attempts were successful. The major cause for the resultant failures was due to the inadequate mechanical properties, especially low impact resistance and low fracture toughness, in conjunction with the well-known characteristic brittleness of ceramics. Thus, activities on the next-generation heat sink materials for aircraft braking system applications have focused on the development of fiber-reinforced CMCs that would improve the fracture toughness and impact resistance (reducing the brittleness) while retaining the other advantages of ceramics.
 The two prime candidate CMC material systems, identified for aircraft braking system heat-sink applications due to thermo-mechanical considerations, are based on silicon carbide (SiC) and boron carbide (B4C). Between these two material systems, the B C-based CMCs have the particular attractions that B C is the third hardest material known, with only diamond and cubic boron nitride being harder, and that it has a heat capacity greater than both SiC and carbon. However, B4C-based fiber-reinforced CMCs suitable for aircraft brake application had not been made due to processing difficulties associated with B C. Generally, previous attempts to make B4C-based CMCs were limited to materials without fiber reinforcements. For example, U.S. Patent 5,878,849 issued March 9, 1999, describes a cermet material made by infiltrating a pressed preform of B4C powder (not filament or fiber) with aluminum.
 Silicon-filled CMCs have been reported in both U.S. and foreign literature to show improved friction coefficients and/or wear life in certain configurations. See, for example: R.W. Froberg and B.A. Grider, "High Friction Carbon/Carbon Aircraft Brakes", 40th Int. SAMPE Symp., May 8 11, 1995, extended abstracts, pp 942-944; R.W. Froberg and T.E. Pratt, "Brake System with Improved Brake Material", U.S. Patent No. 4,815,572 issued July 24, 1987 (assigned to Parker Hannifin Corp); W. Krenkel, "CMC Materials for High Performance Brakes", ISTA Conference on Supercars, Aachen, 31 Oct-4 Nov, 1994 (paper from the German Aerospace Research Establishment Institute of Structures and Design), Stuttgart; A. Lacombe, "Friction System Using Refractory Composite Material", U.S. Patent No. 5,007,508 issued April 15, 1991 (assigned to SEP, France).
 In 1994, the German Aerospace Research Establishment reported sub- scale dynamometer results on a C-C + SiC composite which showed improved stability, lower wear, and shorter processing times than C-C materials. (See W. Krenkel, ibid.) Pyrolyzed resin impregnated carbon fiber preforms, infiltrated with Si at 1500°C, yielded composites containing -35% SiC by weight. Friction coefficients varied between 0.2 and 1.0, higher than for C-C under comparable conditions, increasing with decreasing velocity. Wear was not affected by temperature up to 900°C.
 Lower net wear rates as compared to two carbon-carbon disks wearing against each other were disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,007,508 covering aircraft brakes in which a C-C composite disk is worn against a disk containing carbon or SiC fibers and the CVI matrix consists of SiC as the principal phase with minor amounts of C or BN on the fibers.
 While the foregoing examples illustrate the potential advantages of Si- based CMC's, few of these claims have been independently substantiated. Very often, the friction and wear (F&W) test duty cycle, including load, pressure, or length of testing time and number of cycles were either not reported, or were far less severe than those demanded under realistic aircraft braking conditions. Furthermore, many of these examples only cited either the friction or the wear results, by themselves, instead of the more relevant combined F&W data.
 Certain CMC systems are disclosed in a series of U.S. Patents issued to Singh et al., assigned to The General Electric Company. Those patents all disclosed the use, inter alia, of carbon fiber preforms, and in some embodiments the use of boron carbide is described. These General Electric patents fall generally into one of two groups. Some of these patents describe the production of solid state sintered ceramic bodies, wherein the composite matrix is densified by hot-press sintering, and where the final sintered body is reduced in size from the body before sintering. Those patents, generally unsuitable for producing complex, near-net shape ceramic matrix components, are: U.S. Patent No. 4,886,682, "Process for Producing a Filament- Containing Composite in a Ceramic Matrix", issued December 12, 1989; U.S. Patent No. 4,915,760, "Method of Producing a Coated Fiber-Containing Composite", issued April 10, 1990; U.S. Patent No. 4,931,311, "Method of Obtaining a Filament- Containing Composite with a Boron Nitride Coated Matrix", issued June 5, 1990; U.S. Patent No. 5,051,301, "Coated Fiber-Containing Composite", issued September 24, 1991; U.S. Patent No. 5,067,998, "Fibrous Material-Containing Composite", issued November 11, 1991; U.S. Patent No. 5,160,676, "Fibrous Material-Containing Composite", issued November 3, 1992; and U.S. Patent No. 5,407,734, "Fiber-Containing Composite", April 18, 1995.  The other General Electric patents, as referred to above, disclose the infiltration of a porous body with a molten silicon infiltrant. These patents require that the fibrous materials are coated entirely with boron nitride to avoid a reaction and bonding between the silicon infiltrant and the fibrous material, and to retain fiber pull- out capabilities and fracture toughness. Those patents are U.S. Patent No. 4,889,686, "Composite Containing Coated Fibrous Material", issued December 26, 1989; U.S. Patent No. 4,944,904, "Method of Obtaining a Fiber-Containing Composite", issued July 31, 1990; U.S. Patent No. 4,981,822, "Composite Containing Coated Fibrous Material", issued January 1, 1991; U.S. Patent No. 5,021,367, "Fiber-Containing Composite", issued June 4, 1991; U.S. Patent No. 5,043,303, "Filament-Containing Composite", issued August 27, 1991; U.S. Patent No. 5,330,854, Filament-Containing Composite", issued July 19, 1994; U.S. Patent No. 5,376,427, "Ceramic Composite Containing Coated Fibrous Material", issued December 27, 1994; U.S. Patent No. 5,387,299, "Ceramic Composite Containing Coated Fibrous Material", issued February 7, 1995; and U.S. Patent No. 5,432,253, "Composite Containing Fibrous Material", issued July 11, 1995.
 In summary, prior to the present invention, there was no known practical processing technique for producing dense, fiber-reinforced B C based CMCs having a fine grain microstructure and process for forming such composites. Preferably, the boron carbide particulates are maintained in sub-micron size in the CMC. Also, desirably, the growth of SiC crystals (grains) in the CMC above 10 microns is prevented, most preferably the growth of SiC crystals above 5 microns is prevented. The term micron as used herein is synonymous with the term micrometer.
 The present invention is a composite material, which comprises a fibrous structure. The fibrous structure comprising fibers are initially predominantly coated with elemental carbon to impregnate the fibrous structure. The fibers are then subsequently preferably predominantly infiltrated with at-least-one ceramic material, which is non-reactive with silicon, such as boron carbide, to form an impregnated green body. The infiltration can occur by slurry soaking or slurry casting. The green body is infiltrated with a liquid carbon precursor, such as liquid naphthalene and pyrolyzed to form a carbon char. A silicon matrix, which is continuous, predominantly surrounds and encompasses, the fibrous structure, which had been initially predominantly impregnated with elemental carbon, subsequently predominantly infiltrated with a ceramic material and liquid carbon precursor prior to being pyrolyzed. The matrix ceramic material preferably has a fine grain crystalline structure of predominantly 20 microns or less in size. The at-least-one ceramic material is preferably discontinuous within that matrix. The final material maintains its ability to fail by the mechanisms normally observed for ceramic matrix composites including fiber pull-out. As used herein, the word "predominantly" means, generally more so than not, or more often than not, depending on the context.  The composite material of the present invention preferably comprises a fibrous structure of elemental carbon, which is initially predominantly impregnated with elemental carbon, and then subsequently infiltrated with boron carbide by slurry soaking or slurry casting. The fibrous structure is then infiltrated with liquid naphthalene or other liquid carbon precursor and pyrolyzed to carbon char. Then, preferably, a silicon alloy matrix is added. That silicon alloy matrix, which is continuous, predominantly encompasses the fibers of the fibrous structure, which have been predominantly impregnated with elemental carbon, soaked with boron carbide and infiltrated with liquid naphthalene prior to being pyrolyzed to form a carbon char. Thermal annealing is carried out to react the carbon with silicon. Preferably, the matrix ceramic material of this composite has a fine grain crystalline structure of predominantly 20 microns or less in size to produce the desired wear characteristics which are hereinafter described. Also, the matrix ceramic material preferably has less than 5 vol. % silicon. To optimize the wear characteristics, it has been found that the boron carbide should preferably be discontinuous within the matrix. To optimize wear, the boron carbide needs to be uniformly distributed throughout the composite. The boron carbide will be discontinuous due to the fact that it is added by soaking or casting and does not react or recrystallize to form a continuous phase.
 f) reacting silicon in the continuous matrix with the carbon char to form silicon carbide.
 A composite material of this aspect of the present invention includes a matrix which is continuous and predominantly encompasses the fibrous structure which has been treated as described above. The at-least-one ceramic material is discontinuous within the matrix, and the fibrous structure pulls out of that elemental carbon (which initially predominantly impregnates the fibrous structure) when the composite material is subjected to fracture.  These and other features of the present invention will be further explained and demonstrated in the accompanying drawings and following detailed description of the invention, and are defined by the appended claims.
Description of the Drawings  Figure 1 is a graph comparing the wear rates of various B4C CMCs prepared in accordance with the process described in co-pending application, U.S. patent application serial no. 10/452,009, filed on June 2, 2003, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application serial no. 09/676,250, filed September 29, 2000, ("co- pending application") with each other and with CMCs prepared according to this invention as well as commercial C-C materials.
 Figure 2 is a graph comparing the coefficients of friction of various B4C CMCs as described in the co-pending application with each other and with CMCs prepared according to this invention and commercial C-C materials.  Figure 3 is a photo micrograph showing a melt infiltrated-SiC CMC exhibiting large SiC crystals formed by C-Si interaction and recrystallization.  Figure 4 is a photo micrograph showing a melt infiltrated-B C CMC, described in the co-pending application, exhibiting uniform distribution of fine B C particles.
 Figure 5 is a photo micrograph of a conventional C-C material after abbreviated high speed friction testing, because of the severe amount of wear on the samples that precluded additional testing.
 Figure 7 is a histogram illustrating the relative wear performance for brakes fabricated with CMCs prepared in accordance with the co-pending application as well as the instant invention together with the commercial Duracarb® C-C material and the base line Super-Carb® C-C materials.
 Figure 8 is a histogram illustrating the relative friction coefficient measured from dynamometer tests carried out to stimulate a variety of braking situations for CMCs prepared in accordance with the co-pending application, the present application together with base line C-C materials.
 Figure 9 is a photo micrograph showing a melt infiltrated CMC, made in accordance with this invention, exhibiting an absence of large SiC particles and grains.
 Figure 11 is a graph illustrating the effect of boron carbide addition on the average coefficient of friction of a CMC sample.
 Figure 12 is a graph illustrating both the effect of boron carbide addition and naphthalene infiltration on the average wear rate of a CMC sample processed in accordance with this invention.
 Figure 13 is a graph illustrating both the effect of boron carbide addition and naphthalene infiltration on the average coefficient of friction of a CMC sample processed in accordance with this invention.
C-C material and the Super-Carb® C-C materials.
Duracarb® C-C material and the Super-Carb® C-C materials.
 Figure 16 is a histogram illustrating the relative average dynamic coefficients of friction of both embodiments of the instant invention together with the commercial Duracarb® C-C material and the Super-Carb® C-C materials.
Detailed Description of the Invention  The present invention is a composite material which comprises a fibrous structure. The fibrous structure can be a plurality of elemental carbon fibers. Alternatively, the fibrous structure of the present invention can be a plurality of either non-oxide ceramic fibers or oxide ceramic fibers. Examples of suitable fibers which can be used in the present invention include pitch-based carbon fibers, polyacrylonitrile ("PAN") fibers, Rayon fabric-based carbon fibers, and both oxide and non-oxide ceramic fibers. The fibers are formed into a preform. Methods to form preforms are described in the following patents: U.S. Patent No. 5,869,411 to Bazshushtari et al., issued February 9, 1999; U.S. Patent No. 5,853,485 to Rudolph et al., issued December 29, 1998; U.S. Patent No. 5,688,577 to Smith et al., issued November 18, 1997; U.S. Patent No. 5,609,707 to Bazshushtari et al, issued March 11, 1997; U.S. Patent No. 5,515,585 to Sheehan et al., issued May 14, 1996; U.S. Patent No. 5,480,678 to Rudolph et al., issued January 2, 1996; U.S. Patent No. 5,312,660 to Morris et al., issued May 17, 1994; U.S. Patent No. 5,217,770 to Morris, Jr. et al., issued June 8, 1993; U.S. Patent No. 5,662,855 to Liew et al., issued September 2, 1997; U.S. Patent No. 5,546,850 to Ronyak et al., issued August 20, 1992, U.S. Patent No. 5,792,715 to Duval et al., issued August 19, 1998 and U.S. Patent No. 4,790,052 to Orly, issued June 23, 1986. Any of these methods can be used provided that a porous preform, having the desired porosity is formed. Preferably, the preform has fiber volumes ranging from about 20 to about 30 volume percent and a Z-fiber content of about 5 % to about 10 % of the total fiber volume. Preferably the 3D preform is made from PAN based carbon fibers. An example of a suitable PAN fiber is Pyron® fiber, available from Zoltek, Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri. Preferably, the fiber is made into a preform. A substantially homogenous preform of needle punched PAN fiber tow is assembled in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Patent No. 6,405,417 to Sheehan et al., issued January 18, 2002; U.S. Patent No. 6,237,203 to Sheehan et al., issued May 29, 2001; U.S. Patent No. 6,029,327 to Sheehan et al., issued February 29, 2000; U.S. Patent No. 5,908,792 to Sheehan et al., issued June 1, 1999; U.S. Patent No. 5,858,890 to Sheehan et al, issued January 12, 1999; U.S. Patent No. 5,740, 593 to Sheehan et al., issued April 21, 1998; U.S. Patent No. 5,662,855 to Sheehan et al., issued September 2, 1997; U.S. Patent No. 5,5,581,857 to Sheehan et al., issued December 10, 1996; U.S. Patent No. 5,515,585 to Sheehan et al., issued May 14, 1996.
 The at-least-one non-reactive ceramic material preferably comprises boron carbide. Alternatively, other ceramic materials which do not react with silicon can be used or they can be used in combination, depending on the wear and hardness properties desired in the final matrix composite which is produced. Any ceramic material may be used provided that reactivity does not produce recrystallization and the formation of SiC grains larger than 20 microns. Examples of such non-reactive ceramic materials which can be used are silicon nitride, boron nitride, aluminum carbide and aluminum oxide. Preferably, the ceramic material is in the form of small particles, preferably sub-micron particles are used. Small particles as used herein this paragraph with reference to the ceramic materials which can be added are particles less than 10 microns in size.
 The silicon matrix of the present invention can be preferably formed from elemental silicon. Optionally, the silicon matrix may also be formed from a silicon alloy include other alloying elements such as Al, B, Ni, Ca, Fe, to modify other relevant chemical and/or physical properties of the ceramic matrix composites being produced. By examining the phase diagrams of the alloys formed, one of ordinary skill in the art can easily determine the amount of each component in the alloy. An example of an alloy that can be used is an alloy formed with 94 wt. % silicon, 5 wt. % boron and 1 wt, % carbon.
 An initial elemental carbon coating essentially encapsulates each of the plurality of elemental carbon fibers of the fibrous structure. However, acceptable results in regard to fiber pull out have been obtained where the elemental carbon coating on the fibrous structure is significantly less than complete. The key is that the silicon matrix not be significantly reacted directly with the underlying fibrous structure. Thus, the fibers are not inhibited from pulling out from the matrix, specifically pulling out from the elemental carbon coating on the fibrous structure, when loading the structure to fracture and fracture occurs.  The elemental carbon coating is preferably chemically vapor deposited (CVD) elemental carbon, on the fibers. An example of such a process can be found in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,853,485 and 5,480,678 to Rudolph. Any other known CVD process can be used in this invention. The desirable form of CVD carbon coating, on the carbon fiber preforms, is known in the industry as "Rough Laminar" CVD carbon. It is "crystalline" in nature but not true graphite or diamond. As it is heat treated to higher and higher temperatures, it becomes more graphitic in character. The CVD carbon is nearly 100% dense. Other forms of CVD carbon may or may not be present including "Smooth Laminar", "Gas Phase Nucleated", "Dark Laminar", as well as other forms which may result from the CVD carbon. After the deposition of carbon, the preform has a porosity in the range of about 20 to about 60 volume %. Preferably, such preform has an open porosity of about 35 volume % and a density of about 1.35 g/cc.
 Alternatively, the carbon can be deposited on the fibers from non-CVD sources, such as for example but not limited to resin, or pitch. That is, the fiber bundle could be impregnated using processes including resin and pitch, while, followed directly or indirectly with heating to drive off the volatile matter and reduce the resin or pitch to more or less pure carbon, thus eliminating the need for CVD carbon treatment of the carbon bundles or preforms.
 According to this invention, after the deposition of elemental carbon on the fibers, the fibrous preform is infiltrated with a ceramic material. Preferably, the ceramic material is boron carbide or a boron carbide slurry. Preferably, the boron carbide in the boron carbide slurry has an average particle size of less than about 1 micron. An example of a suitable boron carbide to be used in the slurry is Tetrabor® 3000F boron carbide, available from the Wacker Chemical Corporation. The boron carbide slurry can include surfactants and dispersants such as ByK®-156 (also known as Disperbyk® 156) and Byk®-181 (also known as Disperbyk® 181) from ByK- Chemie.
 The fibrous preform is infiltrated with a slurry containing a ceramic material. Preferably, the slurry is a boron carbide slurry. A preferred boron carbide slurry has 20 weight % boron carbide. Preferably, the fibrous preform is soaked in a tank containing the boron carbide slurry. Although the boron carbide is soaked into the preform, the porosity of the fibrous preform should be maintained to allow the silicon carbide matrix to form. Typically, the boron carbide is soaked into the preform for about 30 to about 60 minutes. The preferred soaking time is 45 minutes. The boron carbide is soaked under vacuum (about 30 in. Hg) until trapped air from the submerged part is removed. When the preform is first covered with the slurry, vigorous bubble generation is observed. As the preform is infiltrated, the rate of bubble formation decreases and finally stops. This soaking process can be repeated, if desired, after drying atmospherically or drying at a moderate temperature of about 100°C in an oven or combination of both.  Other methods can be used to introduce the boron carbide slurry to the preform. An example of another method is slurry casting. Slurry casting is described in detail in co-pending application.
 Alternatively, the ceramic material can be incorporated into a polymer or organic material and infiltrated into the porous preform. Preferably, the ceramic material is uniformly distributed in the polymer. For example, the boron carbide can be added to naphthalene. It is believed that particle loading levels ranging from about 10 to about 50 weight percent can be used in this embodiment, based upon the polymer or organic material used as a carrier.
 In yet another alternative embodiment, the silicon carbide can be incorporated into the slurry containing boron carbide particles. It is believed that as much as 50% of the boron carbide solids in a slurry can replaced by silicon carbide. The slurry containing the ceramic material can be used during slurry casting or a slurry soaking step. The SiC particulates serve as seeds for SiC growth in situ by the reaction between carbon and silicon during the melt infiltration.  In yet a further embodiment, silicon powder is added to the slurry mixture. By adding silicon powder during the slurry soaking step, the silicon can be introduced into the interior of the part before the porosity of the part is diminished due to the slurry and naphthalene infiltration steps. The addition of the silicon powder should improve melt infiltration efficiency. During the melt infiltration, these silicon particles in the powder should melt and subsequently react with the naphthalene char to form SiC. Preferably, the slurry should not be comprised of more than 50 weight % silicon powder.
 Alternatively, a polymer precursor containing carbon and boron is used instead of the boron carbide slurry and the liquid naphthalene. Upon pyrolysis of the polymer precursor, the porous preform contains a mixture of carbon and boron. In addition, a pore-former, such as for example but not limited to, ethylene glycol, can be added to the polymer precursor. This pore-forming agent volatilizes during the pyrolysis step and leaves voids in the preform. Similarly, silicon powder can be added to the precursor. It is believed that the addition of the silicon powder to the slurry would improve melt infiltration efficiency.  In the process of the instant invention, the boron carbide regulates the reaction of silicon and carbon to form silicon carbide, such that the formation of large grain silicon carbide particles greater than five microns in diameter is minimized. The presence of silicon carbide grains larger than 20 microns has been found to increase the wear rate of brake surfaces formed from the CMC of the instant invention. Materials with a dispersion of fine grained materials such as those of the instant invention wear much less than materials with large grains. Accordingly, the fine grain silicon carbide formed in the process described herein contributes to a reduction in the wear rate of the composite material.
 Figures 10 and 11 illustrate the effect of the addition of boron carbide on the average wear rate and the average coefficient of friction on CMCs. As seen from the graphs, CMC samples with no boron carbide experienced higher wear. It is believed that higher wear is due to the presence of large SiC grains. The minimal level of boron carbide required in this invention is the amount needed to prevent large grain growth. As seen from the data, once that minimal level is achieved, the addition of more boron carbide does not greatly improve performance. The minimal level needed to prevent large grain growth can easily be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art.
 If water has been used in the process, then the green body can be oven dried in air to remove any remaining water prior to further processing. The green body is dried in the temperature range of about 200 to about 600 °F; preferably the green body is dried in the range of about 400 to about 500 °F.  Green body as used herein describes a carbon fiber preform which has been partially densified with elemental carbon and subsequently impregnated with a particulate ceramic material. The green body is then impregnated with a liquid carbon precursor and the carbon material is pyrolyzed to form a matrix of glassy carbon char. Examples of liquid carbon precursors which can be used include liquid naphthalene, molten phenolic resin and molten pitch. Preferably, naphthalene is used and is melted by heating the naphthalene to a temperature above its melting point. The formation of a carbon char from the pyrolysis of liquid naphthalene is described in U.S. Patent No. 6,309,703, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. The carbon char provides the carbon source in the reaction of silicon to form silicon carbide. After pyrolysis, the added carbon increases the weight of the green body by about 10 % to about 12 %.
 In another embodiment of the instant invention, the impregnation of the green body with naphthalene and pyrolysis of the naphthalene is repeated a second time. This embodiment is called "Current CMC, version 1." Alternatively, the impregnation with naphthalene and the pyrolysis of naphthalene can be repeated several times as desired in order to achieve the desired end results. However, preferably, a single impregnation of naphthalene and pyrolysis cycle is used. This embodiment is called "Current CMC, version 2."
 Figures 12 and 13 illustrate a material made according to a preferred embodiment of the instant invention, using all the steps described above, having a minimum amount of boron carbide and one naphthalene infiltration and pyrolysis. As described above, the minimum amount of boron carbide is the amount needed to prevent large grain growth. As seen from these Figures 12 and 13, materials with no boron carbide experienced extremely high wear. Similarly, materials with two naphthalene impregnations also had higher wear levels.
 The next step of the process is melt infiltration. Optionally, the processed green body can be heat treated in an inert atmosphere prior to the melt infiltration with the silicon. It is believed that this step would open up the green body structure and enable the green body structure to be more receptive to the melt infiltration.  After forming the carbon char on the green body infiltrated with liquid carbon precursor, and performing any of the optional steps described above, the processed green body is melt infiltrated with molten silicon. The molten silicon can be pure silicon cover mix or a silicon alloy cover mix that is added to the processed green body infiltrated with liquid carbon. If desired, the green body can be dried to remove any residual water prior to the addition of the cover mix. The green body is covered with a cover mix.
 During the melt infiltration step, partial conversion of the silicon and the carbon from the char to silicon carbide takes place. Generally, the melt infiltration step occurs at a temperature range of about 1425°C to about 1485°C and takes approximately thirty minutes to two hours. Preferably, the melt infiltration step is carried out at 1460°C for approximately one hour. The length of this step as well as the actual temperature used can be determined based upon the desired conversion.  A thermal annealing process may be carried out after the melt infiltration of the silicon to react the carbon char with silicon in the green body to form a silicon carbide matrix. The time and temperature of this step must be controlled in order to prevent the undesired reaction between the silicon and the CVD carbon and carbon fibers as well as warpage and delamination. The thermal annealing process substantially completes the silicon carbide forming reaction. It is desirable to react as much of the silicon in the preform to form silicon carbide and to obtain the minimal amount of residual silicon in the CMC. Preferably, less than 5 volume % residual silicon should be left in the CMC after the thermal annealing process. If the silicon reaction occurs to this level during the melt infiltration step, it may not be necessary to carry out a separate, annealing step.
 For example, it may be possible to combine the melt infiltration step with the heat treatment step provided by maintaining the temperature of 1460°C for approximately two hours. The exact temperature and amount of time for the melt infiltration can easily be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art to achieve the desired less than 5 volume % of residual silicon in the CMC.  If a separate annealing process is used, the annealing process involves heating the green body to a temperature of about 1350°C to about 1500°C for a predetermined period of time. The predetermined time can range anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours. Preferably, the process is carried out for an hour at a temperature of about 1440°C to about 1445°C. The silicon carbide matrix formed during the thermal process has a grain size that is dependent upon the temperature and time of the annealing process and the amount of boron carbide in the green body. To maintain minimal wear and friction sensitivity, the silicon carbon grain size is preferably less than about 5 microns. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, the green body has a boron carbide concentration of about 5 to about 15 vol.% and the annealing process is carried out at about 1450°C for about 30 minutes to about 90 minutes and, more preferably, for about 60 minutes. The final composite material so formed has a bulk density of about 2.1 to about 2.2 g/cc.  Fabricating the composite material to have a silicon carbide matrix of relatively small grain size minimizes the formation of silicon nodules at wear surfaces of the composite during braking. Where excess silicon is present in the composite, energy transferred during the braking process causes silicon to melt at the wear surface of the brake. The molten silicon layer acts as a lubricant and reduces the friction coefficient of the material. Further, as the silicon cools near the end of the braking process, it re-solidifies on the wear surface causing the coefficient of friction to rapidly increase. The rapid increase in the coefficient of friction near the end of the braking process as the vehicle comes to a stop can cause undesirable vibration in the braking system.
 The fabrication and evaluation of SiC-based CMC materials was carried out for comparison purposes. The fabrication process used was a variation described below of a slurry casting ("SC")/melt infiltration ("MI") (collectively "SC MI") process previously developed by The Carborundum Company for the preparation of SiC/SiC composites. See: U.S. Patent No. 5,296,311, "Silicon Carbide Reinforced Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide Composite", McMurtry et al., issued March 22, 1994; U.S. Patent No. 5,436,042, "Shaped Green Ceramic Fabric Preform Segments for Fiber Reinforced Composite Article", Lau et al., issued July 25, 1995; U.S. Patent No. 5,484,655, "Aluminum Nitride-Coated Silicon Carbide Fiber", Lau et al, issued January 16, 1996; U.S. Patent No. 5,643,514, "Process for Manufacturing a Silicon Carbide Composition", Chwastiak et al., issued July 1, 1997; U.S. Patent No. 5,817,432, "Silicon Carbide Reinforced Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide Composite", Chwastiak et al., issued October 6, 1998; U.S. Patent No. 5,840,221, "Process for Making Silicon Carbide Reinforced Silicon Carbide Composite", Lau et al., issued November 24, 1998; and U.S. Patent No. 5,945,062, Silicon Carbide Reinforced Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide Composite", Chwastiak et al., August 31, 1999.
 The Carborundum CMC system starts with a SiC fiber-reinforced preform coated with a CVD BN, A1N or TiB2 interface coating. This preform is then impregnated with an aqueous slurry containing SiC powders with a bi-modal particle size distribution. The slurry-impregnated preform is then heated to 1410°C and infiltrated with molten silicon. With a hold time of 30 minutes or less, the final infiltration results in a near full-density CMC, with a SiC-Si two-phase matrix, commonly referred to as a Melt-Infiltrated SiC ceramic matrix composite (Ml/SiC CMC).
 Specimens were prepared in accordance with the foregoing published Carborundum process, which was modified to include carbon fiber preforms rather than the SiC fiber preforms taught by that process. Further, the carbon fiber preforms were CVI coated with carbon, rather than being coated with a fiber interface coating such as BN, A1N or TiB2 as taught by the Carborundum patents listed above.  The High Speed Friction Tester (HSFT) was used to preform friction and wear (F&W) screening on the specimens tested, including those of the co-pending application and this application. The specimens were formed into rotor/stator pairs of 0.375-inch thick samples with a 1.55 in2 friction interface, 2.25 inches OD and 1.75 inches ID. The disks are mounted on ceramic insulators, and a thermocouple in the rotor, 0.05 inch from the wear face, records temperature, normally 500-1500°F. Normal force and torque on the stator are measured in a series of stops from 5000 rpm (43.6 ft/sec), which last about 50 seconds. Data are recorded each 0.008 sec. and averaged each 0.55 sec; these averages are stored, and the average friction coefficient μ, the temperatures and the loads were recorded for a series of stops at fixed pressure, normally between 38 psi and 76 psi on the friction surface. Loads up to 130 psi were applied to obtain high temperatures representative of normal energy or Rejected Take- Off ("RTO") stop conditions. Thickness change at 7 locations around the wear face is measured after each series with a micrometer. A typical standard "up" test sequence used for evaluating CMC materials is 400 stops at 13 psi, 200 stops at 23 psi, 200 stops at 35 psi, 200 stops at 47 psi, 200 stops at 58 psi, 200 stops at 69 psi, and (if an acceptable amount of the wear surface remains and oxidation of the material is limited) stops at 130 psi ( about RTO condition). The use of the term "up" indicates that the pressure is increased for each set of stops, beginning at 13 psi and ending up at 69 psi (or 130 psi if acceptable wear surface remains). Typical "down" testing for evaluating CMC materials would be 200 stops at 69 psi, followed by 200 stops at 58 psi, followed by 200 stops at 47 psi, followed by 200 stops at 35 psi, followed by 200 stops at 23 psi, and then followed by 400 stops at 13 psi.  Typical testing is depicted in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. Average wear rate (mils per surface per 1000 stops) is compared for each series, and wear rates after wear-in are compared, usually for the last 200 stops. The "Baseline C/C" is a Duracarb® material. The "Early CMC" is a sample made using SiC particulate as described above. The "Co-Pending Application CMC" is a sample made using the process of the co-pending application. "Current CMC" is a sample made in accordance with this invention, version 2 (Current CMC, v.2). Not only were these samples tested for wear, but the HSFT was used to assess the effects of ceramic additions on friction coefficient (μ) and wear of carbon brake samples and not the full brake disks.
 However, while low wear rates of the samples were achieved at low brake pressures for the Early CMC, the wear rates at higher pressures often jumped to orders of magnitude higher than that of a typical C-C material.  Post test characterization revealed that large SiC grains found in the MI- SiC CMC matrix were likely responsible for the high wear rate. Although the starting SiC powders used in the slurry were very fine (mostly below one micron in size, with a small fraction in the 5 micron range), large SiC crystals (significantly larger than 20 microns) were prevalent in the CMC matrix after melt infiltration processing at about 1420°C (see photo micrograph in Figure 3). On the other hand, most of the starting fine SiC powder particles had virtually disappeared. The presence of the large (>20 microns) SiC crystals, instead of the <1 micron SiC particles, may be causing the increase in the wear rate. Since these large SiC crystals were more abrasive than the finer particles, an analogous behavior would be found in the use of coarse grit sand paper instead of fine grit sand paper.
 Detailed examination of the post-melt-infiltration material labeled Early CMC indicated the occurrence of the C interaction with liquid Si, and recrystallization, a process resulting in a microstructure containing large (>20 micron) alpha-SiC grains embedded in large "pools" of Si. The fact, that these grains were much larger (>20 micron) than the original alpha-SiC particles (mostly <1 micron) used in the starting SiC slurry, is indicative of an interaction between liquid Si and the CVD carbon coating during the melt infiltration process followed by the process of recrystallization of the SiC.  Several B C-based slurry cast, melt infiltrated CMC test specimens were prepared in an attempt to solve the problems of large SiC crystal formation. In contrast to the SiC materials, these B4C slurry cast materials were indeed found to exhibit a uniform distribution of sub-micron B4C particles throughout the matrix without the prevalence of large crystals. Figure 4 is a photomicrograph showing uniform distribution of fine B4C particles through the matrix. The process for forming these specimens is described in the co-pending application. Based upon the testing of these specimens, it was believed that the B4C slurry cast material was predicted to have advantages in regard to wear performance in comparison to the SiC slurry cast material. This invention is a further improvement upon the invention in the co- pending application in that it is an attempt to remove free silicon from the final structure by reacting it with free carbon to form SiC. It is necessary to control the size of the reaction-formed SiC grains to prevent high wearing material. Figure 9 is a photomicrograph of a melt infiltrated CMC, made in accordance with this invention and exhibiting the lack of large SiC grains.
 The most significant advantage of ceramic-based CMC heat sink materials (other than SiC) appears to be their reduction in wear rate, which, based on initial test results, may be at least 50%. The increased life may possibly cut the actual cost of aircraft brake operation by a substantial and significant amount. Such ceramic- based CMC materials may possibly support brake life up to double that of C-C at a very little increase in brake weight, if any. Furthermore, the materials of the instant invention have improved static friction coefficient and a narrower range of the dynamic friction coefficient, under various operating conditions that may be experienced by an aircraft.
 The current preferred B C powder has a 50% particle size of 0.8 microns or less, although any powders with average particle range of <1.0 to about 10 microns may be used. The powder is milled to break up spray dried agglomerates. If necessary, the pH of the slurry may be controlled to keep the particles from settling out of the slurry. A preferred slurry mix is: 2475 grams deionized Water (medium), 600 grams boron carbide (powder), 5.4 grams ByK®-181 Anionic Dispersant from ByK-Chemie, 10.5 grams ByK®-156 Wetting Agent from ByK-Chemie. Which yields about 20 wt% solids.  The ByK®- 181 (also known as Disperbyk®- 181 ) and the ByK®- 156 (also known as Disperbyk®-156) were obtained from Byk-Chemie USA, 524 South Cherry Street, Wallingford, Connecticut 06492. The boron carbide (B4C) used was designated as TETRABOR® 3000F and was produced by Elektroschmelzwerk Kempten GmbH of Kempten, Germany and obtained in the USA from Wacker Chemical; it had an average Brunauer-Emmett-Teller ("BET") surface area of 12 m2/gr- 14 m2/gr.
 In preparing the slurry, the various components are measured and mixed together. The mixture is milled for a minimum of one hour.  The preform was placed into a vessel and the slurry added to the vessel. The preform was covered by the slurry. Preferably, the slurry level is at least one inch above the preform. The vessel was then placed into a vacuum chamber. Alternatively, the vacuum chamber itself can be the vessel.
 Typically, the preform is infiltrated for about 30 to about 60 minutes; preferably 45 minutes. The infiltration is done as by soaking the preform in a slurry under vacuum (about 30 in. Hg) until trapped air from the submerged preform is removed. When the preform is first covered with slurry, vigorous bubble generation is observed. As the part infiltrates, the rate of bubble formation decreases and finally stops. At this point, the preform was then removed from the slurry and placed into a drying oven and dried at approximately 150°F to about 200°F for about two hours.  Afterwards, a cover mix of silicon is prepared for melt infiltration. The cover mix can be a silicon or a alloyed silicon. Each of these cover mixes will be described in further detail. The cover mix is infiltrated into the green body, typically under vacuum. In the laboratory, for processing, the green body is typically buried in a "cover mix." Currently, for small laboratory parts, a crucible is used to contain the cover mix and a part. Alternatively, for production of multiple pieces of brake disks, the disks are stacked and have the cover mix only on the top and bottom of each piece. In production, half the cover mix needed to density a given brake disk comes from cover mix on top and half from cover mix below. For production, furnace hardware is arranged so that the furnace itself is a crucible.
2.0% (by weight) of Raven™ 1255 carbon black  In the laboratory, the silicon particles and carbon black particles are hand mixed together. The phenolic resin is added to the mixture which is then kneaded by hand until it is consistent. Machine mixing may alternatively be used to produce a more or less homogeneous mixture. The mixture is, at this point, designated as a "cover mix" or "silicon source mix" and is now about the consistency of damp sand. This cover mix is generally applied to the top and bottom of the green body in the ratio of about 70% to about 150% (by weight) of the weight of that green body.  In the laboratory, the application of the cover mix to the green body can also be done by, initially, making a temporary form which corresponds to the actual shape and dimensions of the green body to be used. The temporary form holds the cover mix in place in respect to the green body until the cover mix is hardened by the setting of the resin. This procedure is especially preferable for complex shape preforms. Then, the temporary form is removed. Alternatively, the application of the cover mix to the green body may be accomplished by any means readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
1200°C to 1460°C at 120°C per hour 1460°C hold for 1.0 hour Cool Down, Furnace rate  Next, the furnace is shut off and left to cool down to about room temperature before removing the composite part which is produced by the now infiltrated green body. The Si in the cover mix melts and is absorbed by the B4C infiltrated green body through capillary action and fills the interstitial space in the preform, densifying significantly, in many cases to less than 2% open porosity. The excess spent cover mix is cleaned off the part by scraping, leaving a clean and densified composite specimen.
 The minimum temperature which, will allow for full infiltration is the preferred temperature to be used. Reactions will occur between Si and uncoated carbon fibers to form SiC. This is to be avoided to the extent possible, thus the minimum temperature is used and the carbon fibers are preferably completely coated or encompassed (essentially encapsulated) with a separate layer of CVD elemental carbon. There is some reaction of CVD carbon (coated onto the carbon preform) with the molten Si, but it is difficult to readily and easily measure thickness of this reaction, although the thickness can be measured using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and/or transmission electron microscopy. The object is to confine the Si and C reaction to the CVD carbon coating on the fiber, avoiding the same reaction with the underlying carbon fiber itself. This allows the carbon fiber to "move" within the CVD carbon coating, thus assuring "pull out" of the carbon fibers during toughness fracture testing.
 Alternatively, the cover mix comprises 90 to 92 vol.% of crushed silicon alloy, 5.5 to 7.5 vol.% of the liquid phenolic resin such as Varcum® 29353 Phenolic Resin, and 1 to 3 vol.% of carbon black such as Raven™ 1255 carbon black. The silicon alloy preferably comprises a melt of 90 to 96 wt.% elemental silicon, 3 to 6 wt.% elemental boron and 0.5 to 2.0 wt.% elemental carbon. As explained hereinafter, the range of elements in the preferred silicon alloy produces what may be explained as an eutectic effect, lowering the melting temperature of the silicon by about 20°C or slightly more. This eutectic effect seems to diminish and substantially disappear when the above stated ranges of alloying elements are not used. Also, preliminary experimental evidence indicates that additions of Al, Ca, Fe and/or Ni at alloying levels may be useful in significantly lowering the melting point of silicon. The capillary action of the silicon infiltration into the green body becomes somewhat less uniform and complete when the carbon black is eliminated from the cover mix, resulting in potentially the formation of some minor voids in the silicon matrix. The phenolic resin range is set to get sufficient resin into the cover mix to set and harden, but not so much that when the silicon alloy melt temperature is attained, there is an over abundance of carbon which would tend to promote the excess formation of silicon carbide, a material that is to be avoided as is explained elsewhere herein. As with the non-alloyed silicon cover mix, once the cover mix is added to the green body, it is placed in a conventional drying oven to set from about 130°C to about 160°C for about two hours or until the resin is hardened.
 Alternatively, other resins can be used in the place of the phenolic resin. Examples include epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin or vinyl ester resin. The amount of resin to be used in the cover mix in place of the phenolic resin can easily be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art.
 The silicon alloy cover mix is produced by starting with elemental silicon powder, of a size that will pass through a 30 mesh screen but not through a 60 mesh screen (-30 +60, U.S. Sieve size). To this is added elemental boron in a size range of -200 +300, U.S. Sieve size. Then carbon black (amorphous carbon powder) is added in a size range to -200 +300, U.S. Sieve size, A preferred silicon alloy cover mix is comprised of 94 wt% elemental silicon, such as for example silicon particulate (16 mesh), available from Globe Metals, 5 wt% elemental boron, such as for example SB Boron 95, available from the SB Boron Corporation and 1 wt% carbon black, such as 1255 Raven Carbon Powder Carbon Black. These components are thoroughly mixed, for example, by hand, and then preferably the mixture is heated to 1450 °C in a vacuum until it melts in graphite crucibles that have been coated with boron nitride powder. After the melt is brought back down to room temperature, it is ground to -16 mesh, U.S. Sieve Size, to produce the silicon alloy.
 Alternatively, it has been found that when commercial grades of silicon powder are utilized, an acceptable cover mix can be formed by mixing the silicon, the elemental boron and the carbon black, in the ratio recited above, and, without heating and grinding, but rather using the powder mixture as such for the cover mix.
 It should be noted that the foregoing silicon alloy has multiple material phases, as distinguished from a solution which only is a single phase material. It has been determined that the saturation level of molten silicon, for dissolution of carbon, occurs when the carbon level reaches a maximum of less than about 250 ppm, with levels of carbon significantly above that range (e.g., 300 ppm and above) causing a reaction between the carbon and silicon, thus eliminating the possibility of alloying the carbon with the silicon to form a single phase solid solution. Rather, when carbon is introduced to molten silicon, at levels of about 300 ppm and above, there is a chemical reaction between the silicon and the carbon to fonn SiC. The SiC, which is formed by this reaction, precipitates as solid sub-micron particles, carrying with it much of the remaining un-reacted carbon. It is believed that the addition of elemental boron to this silicon-carbon two-phase alloy enhances the suspendability of the carbon, avoiding unwanted precipitation, thus promoting the inclusion of the boron in the development of a true multi-phase silicon-boron-carbon alloy. The saturation point of boron in molten silicon is about 1.6 wt%, with boron at or below that level going into the multi-phase alloy. It is believed without the carbon, the boron reacts, and the reactant products precipitate where the boron is present at a level above 1.6 wt%.
 The processed green body then is subject to an annealing process or heat treatment in a furnace at about 1350 to about 1500° C for approximately thirty to ninety minutes. Typically, the heat treatment process is carried out for 60 minutes. This process substantially completes the silicon carbide forming reaction.  Post-treatment processing only involves machining. Diamond tools were used to machine the parts, and the disk brake parts were ground flat with parallel faces. The measured bulk density of the final material was from about 1.85 to 2.20 grams/cm3.
 In regard to the present invention, the thickness of the reaction layer, between the CVD elemental carbon coating associated with the fibers and the molten silicon, is sub-micron for lower temperatures and short reaction times, and can approach several microns in thickness at higher temperatures and/or where longer reactions times are used. It is important to avoid a total conversion of, the CVD carbon layer to SiC and, also, to avoid any significant conversion of the underlying carbon fiber to SiC. Therefore, a reaction layer is acceptable as long as the CVD carbon layer is not totally consumed by the reaction and the carbon fiber remains essentially unreacted.
 As noted above, in the modified Carborundum SiC particulate system, substantial re-crystallization is observed. In the B C particulate systems of the present invention, generally, no significant large crystals of SiC were observed.  The resultant composite was comprised of carbon fiber bundles which were partially infiltrated with CVD carbon, and a two phase matrix. Microstructural characterization revealed a matrix comprised of a uniform distribution of disconnected, fine and discrete B4C particles surrounded by a reaction formed, fine grained SiC crystals as evident from the photomicrograph of Figure 9.  HSFT specimens from B4C based MI-CMCs of the co-pending application as well as from this application were tested in the same manner as the SiC based composites. For comparison purposes, similar tests were also conducted on a commercial C-C brake material made by the Goodrich Corporation as currently being used on the Boeing 777 aircraft. The friction and wear test results on these materials are shown in Figures 1 and 2.
 Figure 1 compares the wear rates of C-C, SiC based CMCs and B4C based CMCs of the co-pending application "Co-Pending Application CMC" as well as CMCs of the instant application over a wide pressure range. As can be seen, the wear rate of the B C based CMC samples is significantly lower over the entire pressure range. CMC wear rates were measured ranging from 1/2 to 1/4 of the C-C rate at high pressures, and 1/10 to 1/15 of the C-C rate at low pressures. These improvements in wear rate were achieved while maintaining a similar friction coefficient (as shown in Figure 2) to C-C of approximately 0.40 and similar braking temperature profiles. In comparison, the SiC based materials containing the large SiC precipitates showed much higher friction coefficients and much greater wear rates. Figure 2 demonstrates the unusual temperature and pressure stability of the B4C-based materials. In addition to the reduced wear rates, this "constant coefficient" is another potential key advantage over C-C whose friction coefficients are known to vary or "fade". For example, full RTO dynamometer testing of production C-C produces a typical friction coefficient of less than 0.20.
 Again, referring to Figures 1 and 2, for the B C-based CMC material of the co-pending application and the instant application, a low and uniform wear rate of 10-20 mils/side/1000 stops was measured throughout the full HSFT test sequence from low pressure to high pressure. For the commercial production Boeing 777 C-C brake material, similar levels of coefficients were measured. However, the minimum wear rate obtained was about 40 mils/side/1000 stops, or twice that measured for the current B C-based CMC material. Furthermore, at low braking pressures, the C-C had wear rates as high as 140 mils/side/1000 stops, or about 7 to 14 times that of the B4C-based CMC material at the same pressures. Many of the problems associated with the performance of the Ml-SiC CMC materials have been demonstrated to be not a factor with the B C-based material. The reason for the superior, performance of the B4C-based CMC material over MI-SiC CMC material can most probably be explained by the fact that the B C-based CMC material does not have the large crystal growth problem observed for the matrix of the SiC composite, confirming the earlier prediction.  Simulated RTO tests were also conducted on the MI-B4C CMC HSFT specimens of the co-pending application as well as the instant application. The friction coefficients obtained were found to be in the 0.4-0.6 range, similar to the values obtained at the lower pressures. These are believed to be very respectable numbers for the simulated RTO conditions. The low wear rates, 50% or less than those of the current commercial Boeing 777 C-C brake material, could extend the service life of the brakes, give more landings per overhaul, and/or provide the basis for new heat sink designs with lower weight and/or volume. The uniform friction coefficients over a wide range of braking pressure conditions could produce more stable and predictable braking performance.
 The uniform friction coefficients as a function of braking pressure may be key in making the invention an important development for non-aircraft braking applications including large truck and train brakes. While conventional C-C has survived severe train brake test conditions, the test results have demonstrated that the coefficient of friction for C-C is dependent on the energy input. However, the relatively "flat" coefficient of friction measured for the CMC materials of the present invention as well as the co-pending application may make them better candidate materials for such non-aircraft types of braking applications.  Figure 6 includes micrographs taken of the composite material that show the microstructure of the composite at different stages in the process of this invention. Image 6 A shows the microstructure of the composite after infiltration and pyrolysis of naphthalene. Image 6B shows the microstructure of the composite after silicon melt infiltration, and image 6C shows the microstructure after the thermal annealing process. The microstructure shown in image 6C reveals that the final composite material includes carbon fibers, unreacted CVD carbon, boron carbide particles and silicon carbide grains, and residual silicon. The residual silicon is estimated to have a concentration in the composite of less than about 5 vol%. The micrograph shows that silicon carbide has the desired fine grain structure of less than 5 microns.
 Figure 7 compares the relative wear performance of CMCs prepared in accordance with the process of the co-pending application ("Co-Pending CMC")and embodiments of this invention with baseline Duracarb® C-C materials and Current CMC, version 1. The Co-Pending CMC material is a low coefficient of friction material formulated with submicron sized boron carbide powder. The relative life data is normalized to that of the C/C Baseline material. The relative wear life of the Co- Pending CMC, is superior to either the new and baseline C-C materials and to the Current CMC, version 2.
 Figure 8 is a histogram illustrating the relative friction coefficient measured from dynamometer tests carried out to simulate a variety of braking situations for CMCs prepared in accordance with the process of the co-pending application and the present application (Current CMC, version 2) together with base line C-C materials. The tests cover the range of energies associated with the operational envelope of an F-16 aircraft. The various braking test categories range from "Service A," the lowest energy braking, to RTO, the highest braking energy. The data in Figure 9 shows that there is less variance in the friction coefficient among the various dynamometer test conditions for the composite material of the present invention, Current CMC, version 2, than for either the C-C baseline material or the composite material of the co-pending application, Co-Pending Application CMC. Further, the data shows that the Current CMC composite has better high energy friction performance, as determined by the overload and RTO test conditions, than the Co-Pending CMC material. Also, the RTO friction performance of the Current CMC material is slightly better than the C-C baseline (Duracarb®) material.  Figure 14 describes the wear life of two conventional materials with two embodiments of the present invention. The relative wear rate of a material is measured by running repeated landing cycles. The Figure shows the results of testing demonstrating that the CMC of the present invention can provide a wear rate that is almost a 30% improvement over Super-Carb® materials.  Figures 15 and 16 show the relative static and dynamic friction coefficients of the materials of the instant invention as compared to the Super-Carb® and Duracarb® materials. As seen from the Figures, the materials of the instant invention have an improved static friction coefficient as compared to the other materials. Similarly, the materials of the instant invention have a narrower range of dynamic friction coefficient than the Super-Carb® and Duracarb® materials.  The preferred embodiment and the best mode of the present invention, as of the present, have been disclosed, explained, detailed, demonstrated and otherwise described. However, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited thereby, but rather is intended to be as broad as the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.
1. A process for fabricating a composite material comprising: a) forming a fibrous structure comprising fibers into a preform; b) initially predominantly coating the fibers of that fibrous structure preform with elemental carbon to impregnate that preform with elemental carbon; c) infiltrating the preform with a ceramic slurry to predominantly impregnate the fibers of the preform to form an impregnated green body; d) infiltrating the impregnated green body with a liquid carbon precursor and pyrolyzing the liquid carbon precursor to form a carbon char; e) infiltrating the impregnated green body with molten silicon to form a continuous matrix throughout the composite; and f) reacting silicon in the continuous matrix with the carbon char to form silicon carbide.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein the ceramic slurry contains a boron carbide.
3. The process of claim 1, wherein said fibers are made from polyacrylonitrile.
4. The process of claim 1, wherein said preform is infiltrated by slurry soaking.
5. The process of claim 1, wherein said preform is infiltrated by slurry casting.
6. The process of claim 1, wherein said liquid carbon precursor is liquid naphthalene.
7. The process of claim 1, wherein said molten silicon is a non-alloyed silicon.
8. The process of claim 1, wherein said molten silicon is an alloyed silicon.
9. The process of claim 1, wherein said fibrous structure is initially coated with chemically vapor deposited elemental carbon.
10. The process of claim 1, wherein said elemental carbon is deposited on the fibers using pitch or resin.
11. The process of claim 1, wherein said infiltration with the liquid carbon precursor and pyrolysis is repeated a second time.
12. The process of claim 1, wherein said infiltration with molten silicon occurs in the temperature range of about 1425 to about 1485° C.
13. The process of claim 2, wherein said boron carbide has a particle size of less than about 1 micron.
14. A composite material fabricated by a process comprising: a) forming a fibrous structure comprising fibers into a preform; b) initially predominantly coating the fibers of that fibrous structure preform with elemental carbon to impregnate that preform with elemental carbon; c) infiltrating the preform with a ceramic slurry to predominantly impregnate the fibers of the preform to form an impregnated green body; d) infiltrating the impregnated green body with a liquid carbon precursor and pyrolyzing the carbon material to form a carbon char; e) infiltrating the impregnated green body with molten silicon to form a continuous matrix throughout the composite; and f) reacting silicon in the continuous matrix with the carbon char to form silicon carbide.
15. The composite of claim 14, wherein the ceramic slurry is a boron carbide slurry.
16. The composite of claim 14, wherein said fibers of said preform are made from polyacrylonitrile.
17. The composite of claim 14, wherein said preform is infiltrated by slurry soaking of the liquid carbon precursor.
18. The composite of claim 14, wherein said liquid carbon precursor is liquid naphthalene.
20. The composite of claim 14, wherein said molten silicon is an alloyed silicon.
21. The composite of claim 14, wherein said fibrous structure is initially coated with chemically vapor deposited elemental carbon.
22. The composite of claim 14, wherein said elemental carbon is deposited on the fibers using pitch or resin.
23. The composite of claim 14, wherein said infiltration with molten silicon occurs in the temperature range of about 1425 to about 1485° C.
24. The composite of claim 15, wherein said boron carbide slurry comprises boron carbide having a particle size of less than about 1 micron.
25. A composite ceramic material comprising: a.) a fibrous structure and a silicon matrix which are initially predominantly impregnated with elemental carbon, and subsequently predominantly impregnated with boron carbide; and b.) a silicon carbide phase which is continuous and predominantly encompasses said fibrous structure, wherein silicon carbide in said silicon carbide phase has a grain size of less than about 10 microns.
26. A brake disk having an improved wear surface formed from a composite material comprising a silicon carbide matrix, without excess silicon, and having a small grain size.
27. A brake disk according to claim 26 where said silicon carbide matrix composite material exhibits an absence of large SiC grains.
28. A brake disk according to claim 27, where large SiC grains are grains larger than about 20 microns.
29. A brake disk assembly made from the brake disks of claim 26.
30. A process according to claim 1, wherein said boron carbide is a boron carbide slurry.
31. A process according to claim 1, wherein said composite material exhibits an absence of large SiC grains.
32. A process according to claim 31, wherein said large grains are larger than about 20 microns.
33. A composite ceramic material according to claim 25, wherein the amount of unreacted silicon in the matrix is less than that required to form a liquid phase on the wear face of a disk made from the composite material during a severe energy event.
34. A composite ceramic material according to claim 25, wherein said composite material exhibits an absence of large SiC grains.
35. A composite ceramic material according to claim 34, wherein said large grains are larger than about 20 microns.
36. A composite ceramic material according to claim 25, wherein said material is less than 5 volume % residual silicon.
37. A composite ceramic material according to claim 25, wherein said boron carbide comprises about 5 to about 15 volume % of said material.
38. A composite ceramic material according to claim 25, wherein said fibrous structure impregnated with elemental carbon comprises from about 20 to about 45 volume % of said material.
39. A composite ceramic material according to claim 25, wherein said silicon carbide phase comprises from about 20 to about 40 volume % of said material.
40. A composite ceramic material according to claim 25, wherein said boron carbide has an average particle size of less than about 1 micron.
41. A process according to claim 1, wherein said ceramic slurry is chosen from the group of slurries consisting of boron carbide, silicon nitride, boron nitride, aluminum carbide and aluminum oxide slurries.
42. A composite ceramic material according to claim 25, wherein said fibrous structure comprises from about 15 to about 40 volume % of said material.
43. A composite ceramic material comprising: a.) a fibrous structure and a silicon matrix which are initially predominantly impregnated with elemental carbon, and subsequently predominantly impregnated with boron carbide; and b.) a silicon carbide phase which is continuous and predominantly encompasses said fibrous structure, wherein silicon carbide in said silicon carbide phase has a grain size of less than about 10 microns.


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If you rent a 30 yard dumpster, you'll be getting a container which will hold 30 cubic yards of waste or debris. Your 30 yard container will measure about 22 feet long by 8 feet wide by 6 feet high. These amounts could change slightly depending on the dumpster rental firm in Frostproof you choose. A 30 yard dumpster will hold between 9 and 15 pickup truck loads of waste, so it is a great option for whole-dwelling residential cleanouts as well as commercial cleanup jobs.
5. Discover what services you get with your dumpster rental in Frostproof.
You can fill your dumpster as full as you like, provided that you really do not load it higher compared to the sides of the container. Over filling the dumpster could cause the waste or debris to slide off as the dumpster is loaded onto the truck or as the truck is driving. Overloaded or overweight dumpsters are just not safe, and businesses WOn't carry unsafe loads as a way to safeguard motorists and passengers on the road.
In some regions, dumpster loads must be tarped for safety. If your load is too high, it WOn't have the ability to be tarped so you'll need to remove a number of the debris before it can be hauled away. This may lead to extra costs if it requires you to keep the dumpster for a longer amount of time. Remember to keep your load no higher compared to the sides of the dumpster, and you'll be good.
The most common dumpsters contain 10-yard, 20-yard, 30-yard, and 40-yard models. For those who are in possession of a tiny endeavor, such as clearing out a garage or basement, you can probably benefit from a 10-yard or 20-yard dumpster. For those who have a bigger endeavor, such as a complete remodel or constructing a new house, then you'll most likely need a 30-yard or 40-yard dumpster.
Many people decide to rent a bigger dumpster than they think they are going to desire. Although renting a bigger dumpster prices more cash, it's more economical than having to an additional dumpster after a small one gets full.
The amount of money that you spend renting a dumpster in Frostproof will depend on several variables.
The amount of time that you might want to keep the dumpster rental in Frostproof will also change the price. The the more time you keep the dumpster, the more you can expect to pay.
Services are another consideration that could influence your total price. Many businesses comprise services like dumpster drop off and pick up in their prices. Some companies, however, fee for these services. This makes it important that you ask about any hidden fees.
All major credit cards accepted for dumpster rentals in Frostproof.


Morso is a culmination of a life in food and a passion for culinary excellence. With the essence of his Tuscan homeland at heart and a truly original style of cooking; Pino Luongo shaped the Italian menus that we now consider classic, with restaurants including Le Madri, Mad 61, Coco Pazzo, Tuscan Square, and Centolire. For Morso, his values remain unchanged; great, seasonal ingredients skillfully prepared, and shared with family and friends.


text:
Getting a big kick out of a soccer hero
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Angela Hucles answers questions from Cunniff Kids News reporters
Cunniff Kids News staff, .|June 12, 2009
All eyes of the Cunniff School were on Angela Hucles of the Boston Breakers and the US Women's Soccer team when the two-time gold-medal winner came to the Watertown elementary school for a press conference with the Cunniff Kids News on June 12, 2009.
[Angela Hucles is a winner of two gold medals with the US Women's Soccer team and a member of the Boston Breakers of the new Women's Professional Soccer league. Angela came to the Cunniff School on June 12, 2009, to meet the staff of the Cunniff Kids News and answer a few questions. The following is an edited transcript of that press conference. — CKN]
Cunniff Kids News: How long have you been playing soccer?
Angela Hucles: I've been playing soccer for 23 years.
CKN: What position do you play?
Angela: I play midfield and sometimes I play forward.
CKN: When did you start playing soccer?
Angela: I actually started playing soccer when I was 7 years old. My mom signed me up for soccer. I actually was on the neighborhood swim team when I was 6. I didn't like it, so I tried something else the next season, and once I started playing soccer I loved it from the beginning.
Angela Hucles of the Boston Breakers and the US Women's Soccer team answers questions from Cunniff Kids News reporters during a press conference at the Watertown elementary school on June 12, 2009.
CKN: What team do you play for?
Angela: I play for the Boston Breakers. We play over at Harvard Stadium. We actually have a game Sunday night at 6 p.m. if you guys want to come watch. I also play for the United States national team.
CKN: What's your favorite position?
Angela: Let's see, I like playing either midfield or forward, so I can play both defense and also offense.
CKN: What's you favorite sport beside soccer.
Angela: My favorite sport beside soccer would probably be either basketball or golf.
CKN: Are you going to a soccer game [AC Milan vs. Iner Milan] at Gillette Stadium on July 26?
Angela: I would love to go. I'm not sure, I don't have tickets yet. Are you going to go? You already have tickets? Maybe I'll see you there, it'll be fun.
CKN: What number are you
Angela: I am number 16.
CKN: You've traveled a lot. What was your favorite place to play?
Angela: I have been to a lot of different places, a lot of different countries. I really liked playing in a tournament in Portugal, and also I enjoyed playing in Costa Rica.
CKN: Do you teach children?
Angela: I do. Sometimes I do soccer coaching, either for smaller teams or sometimes individual lessons. I coach all ages. Younger kids all the way to high school kids as well.
CKN: What was a challenging team you've faced?
Angela: With the Boston Breakers, we played the first-place team in the league, the LA Sol and we actually beat them the first time we played them. For the US National team, a challenging team was Brazil. We played them in the Olympic finals and beat them for first place and the gold medal.
CKN: What places have you been to play soccer?
Angela: I've played in a lot of countries. I've played in Portugal, Costa Rica, China, South Korea, Canada, a lot of different places.
CKN: Did you play soccer when you were a kid?
Angela: I did. I started playing soccer when I was 7 years old. That was a long time ago.
CKN: What was your favorite country to play in?
Angela: Probably Portugal or Costa Rica, I would say.
Whenever I'm having fun, I play my best soccer."
— ANGELA HUCLES, two-time Olympic gold medalist
CKN: Have you ever lost?
Angela: Yes. I have.
CKN: How many?
Angela: I don't know. I've lost a lot of games, but also won a lot of games, too.
CKN: How many goals have you scored?
Angela: That I don't know either, but I scored a lot of goals when I was playing in high school. I scored a couple of hundred goals in high school and scored a lot in college. And then professionally I've scored less goals because the competition is a lot harder. So, a handful of goals professionally.
CKN: When's your birthday?
Angela: July 5. It's coming up.
CKN: Have you ever played in Gillette Stadium?
Angela: Yes. I played with the Breakers in Gillette Stadium, probably back in 2002, 2003.
CKN: How many people are on your team?
Angela: We have about 25 players on the team, including me.
CKN: What's your favorite type of animal and color?
Angela: My favorite animal, hmmmm, maybe a dog or a turtle. And I love the color red.
CKN: What's your record of how many goals you've scored?
Angela: Oh, I'm not sure exactly, but it's a few hundred out of all the years I've played soccer.
CKN: How many goals have you scored since you've started playing soccer?
Angela: A few hundred.
CKN: How long have you been on the Boston Breakers?
Angela: In this league — it's called the WPS, Women's Professional Soccer — we've just started our first season this year in April. But I was also on the Boston Breakers, formerly in a different league called the WUSA from 2001 to 2003. So I've been lucky enough to play on the Breakers two times.
CKN: How many medals do you have?
Angela: Well I have two Olympic gold medals from the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, and also the third-place medal, the bronze medal, from the World Cup in 2003 and 2007.
CKN: How many years have you played soccer?
Angela: I started playing when I was 7, so I'll let you guys do the math. If I'm 30 years old now and I started playing soccer when I was 7, what's 30 minus 7?
CKN: How many games do you have a week?
Angela: We typically have one game a week, but the next two weeks we're going to have two games a week. We're going to play Sunday and Wednesdays.
CKN: Who's your best friend on the team?
Angela: I actually have a few friends on the team because I've know them for a long time so. Kristine Lilly, have you guys ever heard of Kristine Lilly? She's actually played on the national team for many years, and also on the Boston Breakers as well.
CKN: How many people are in the crowd?
Angela: Normally we get about 4,000 or 5,000 people out to our games on average.
CKN: What's your favorite food?
Angela: I really like pizza, but I like a lot of Asian foods, like Chinese food and sushi and things like that.
CKN: Do you have any advice for the three kids here with a game tomorrow?
Angela: I guess the advice I'd give is to work hard and concentrate on something that you are doing well and keep doing it, and have fun with it. Whenever I'm having fun, I play my best soccer.
CKN: What teams have you played for?
Angela: I'm on the Boston Breakers, and the US team, and then I played in college as well at the University of Virginia.
CKN: How many trophies do you have?
Angela: I have a few from probably when I was your age, and then I also have a few from my professional career with the World Cup and the Olympics.
CKN: Have you ever been on a commercial?
Angela: Yes
CKN: Cool!
CKN: Do you have any brothers and sisters?
Angela: I have one younger brother.
CKN: Who is your idol?
Angela: I tended to look up to the women's national team, because I loved watching them play when I was younger. And then I look up to my mom a lot and I still do.
CKN: Who is the most athletic person on your team?
Angela: Amy Rodriguez is very athletic. She's probably the fastest person on our team, or in the league.
CKN: Where were you born?
Angela: I was born in Virginia Beach, which is in Virginia.
There are a lot of great soccer players out there. I really like Ronaldo. He's pretty good."
— ANGELA HUCLES, two-time Olympic gold medalist with US Women's Soccer team
CKN: What is the capital of that state?
Angela: Richmond, Virginia.
CKN: Who is your best friend on the team?
Angela: I have a few friends. I like all the people on my team. We're all pretty good friends.
CKN: How often do you have to practice?
Angela: Every day. I practice pretty much every day all year round. Yeah, it's a full-time job.
CKN: Have you ever been traded?
Angela: That's a good question. I actually have only played for the Boston Breakers, but there's also the possibility of being traded. Sometimes players are traded when you play professionally.
CKN: What specific commercials have you been on?
Angela: I've been in a couple commercials for the league and also for US team. They have different sponsorships, or to promote the league.
CKN: What was the name of the first team you were on when you were 7?
Angela: The first team I played for was called the Tan Stingers. I still remember that. [Laughs]
CKN: What year were you born?
Angela: I was born in 1978.
CKN: What college did you go to?
Angela: The University of Virginia.
CKN: Do you like playing for the Boston Breakers or the US team better?
Angela: Actually I like playing for both. They're two very different teams. It's nice to be able to play for the Boston Breakers where I get to play against some of my US teammates and also against a lot of international players as well. So two different teams is both fun.
CKN: What's your plan for the future?
Angela: Well that's a tough question. For right now I want to keep playing soccer while I can while my body still lets me. And then I guess I'll look into doing something else. I really like real estate so maybe something with real estate.
CKN: Do you have any kids?
Angela: No. I do not have any children.
CKN: When you're not playing soccer, do you play any other sports?
Angela: When I'm not playing soccer, I typically am not playing a whole lot of other sports because soccer is my job and I'm very active doing that I tend to not do too many other active things. I kind of take more of a rest.
CKN: Are you going to play soccer forever?
Angela: I can tell you that I'm not going to play soccer forever. [Laughs]
CKN: Who's your best friend, but it doesn't have to be on your soccer team
Angela: One of my really good friends is a soccer player but she plays for another team. She also plays for the Canadian national team. She's a goalkeeper so I like to try and score goals against her, even though she's my friend.
CKN: Have you ever gotten hurt?
Angela: I have gotten injured. I have had shin injuries, stress fractures of my shins before. That wasn't fun.
CKN: Did you have crutches or a wheelchair?
Angela: I had a big boot that I put on my leg.
CKN: Who's your favorite soccer play in the world?
Angela: There are a lot of great soccer players out there. I really like Ronaldo. Have you ever heard of Ronaldo, Brazilian player, he's pretty good.
Reporters from the Cunniff Kids News pose during a break in the Angela Hucles press conference at Cunniff Elementary on June 12, 2009.
CKN: Have you ever met Mia Hamm?
Angela: I have. I've played with her.
[Time for three more questions.]
CKN: I saw on your website that there's a program that you sponsor, "Savings Makes Cents" Can you tell me about that please?
Angela: Sure. I work with the Massachusetts state treasurers department with a program called "Savings Makes Cents". So I go all across the state with a lot of different schools and talk with a lot of different schools and the children of the schools about the importance of saving money and money management, things like that. It's something that I've been working with the state for a few years now. It's a fun program. And I encourage people of your age to start saving money maybe set up a savings account, things like that.
CKN: Is soccer your favorite sport?
Angela: Soccer's definitely my favorite sport, for sure.
CKN: What's your favorite men's soccer team?
Angela: I'm going to have to say…. Arsenal. They're in the English Premiere League.
(Among those attending the press conference were Cunniff Kids Staff reporters Elizabeth A., Dyanne B., Sam C., Timmy C., Daniel D., Shay D., Owen G., Jack L., Ryan L., Sean L., Domenic M., Matt M., Rose M., Shannon M., Tia P., Beth P., TJ P., Renee S., Renee T., Isabella V., Mairead W., and Patrick W.)
Amy Rodriguez
Angela Hucles
Cunniff School
school newspaper
US women's soccer
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Admit it–you care a lot about what other people think.
Don't worry, it's natural. We're hardwired to crave acceptance and social approval–it's in our DNA, after all.
That's why disapproval stings and rejection hurts so much. It's also why we get lonely. But let's face it–we're all guilty of spending too much time obsessing over how other people perceive us instead of simply living our best lives.
What would my colleagues say if I turned up to work dressed like this?
No one can ever know I listen to this band. What would they think of me?
What if some people don't approve of my topic of conversation on social media?
If I agree to do that speech, what if I mess up and everyone laughs at me!
What does doing this/watching this/thinking this say about me?
Let's be honest. We all think along these lines every single day, and it needs to stop because it's ruining our lives. That's why you're reading this post, after all–you know you obsess over what people think, and you're sick of it. You're out of f*cks to give.
But I've got great news for you.
You can stop giving a damn about what people think about you right now. How is this possible, you're probably wondering. Don't worry. It's really very simple.
But please don't confuse that for being easy. This will take some practice and awareness… But, it's damn well worth the effort!
There's not a single person out there who cares about the intricacies of your daily life the way you think they do. That's the problem with the ego–we all have it, and we all think we're special enough to occupy someone's every waking thought. Truth is, that's just not possible.
Everyone's more interested in what's going on in their own lives than in anyone else's.
We all see the world, and everything in it, from our own unique perspective. That means we spend a lot of time obsessing over what's important to us, what's normal for us, and, of course, if anyone's judging us. Do you see the problem here?
We're all thinking the same thoughts. When you're worrying about what other people think about you, that same person is worrying over what you think of them. The reality, then, is that they're probably not thinking about you at all. Crazy, isn't it?
Even crazier is this cool fact–we each have at least 50,000 individual thoughts a day. That is a lot of thinking. Over half of these thoughts are negative, and many of them are repetitions of the thoughts we had the day before. Our brains like routine, apparently–even unhealthy ones.
People think the same things over and over again, whether it's about their problems or their passions, so that one fleeting thought they had about you really doesn't stick around very long.
Unless you affect someone in a significant way, or you do something which directly affects their lives, those one or two judgmental thoughts they might have – go right out the window. Worrying about how anyone else sees you is a complete waste of energy–and only adds to your negative thought cycle.
Maybe you're not convinced yet. That's okay. Here are some examples which might make matters clearer.
You're in a restaurant and you're worried about [insert negative thought of your choice here]. The menu is a minefield, and all you can think is, do I have spinach in my teeth?
I'm going to look so stupid trying this. Best I don't bother.
I've been staring at these instructions for two whole minutes and I still can't turn this thing on. Everyone must be judging me now.
What if I do something wrong and it's loud and everyone turns around and notices?
As you can see, obsessing over how other people perceive you is the definition of time-wasting. Even if someone does judge you, the thought isn't even significant to them, let alone you. That brings us to our next point.
No one asked you to care what they think of you, so they won't thank you for living your life like this.
No one's going to come up to you and say, Thanks for making all your decisions today based on how I, an anonymous person in the street, feel about it!
Just in case, let's put it this way–if no one thinks about your daily life choices very much, and no one asks you to dictate your life around their approval, then why do you give a f*ck what they think?
No, I don't know, either.
We touched on this one above, but it's worth repeating–even if you'll always care, to a degree, what certain people think about you, you can't please everyone. It's just not possible.
There are over 7.6 billion people on this planet right now. Every single one of them has their own unique opinions, beliefs, and contributions to make to this world. No one is the exact same.
For everyone who approves of you and your life choices, many people don't. This is the same no matter how perfectly you try to lead your life and how conscious you are of everyone else's thoughts and feelings.
Although (maybe) we could all please everyone in an ideal world, it's simply not reality. Giving a f*ck what people think means spending your whole life knowing that somewhere out there is someone who would judge you. That's exhausting, and it's no way to function healthily. Stop trying to please everyone.
Worst case scenario–someone judges you and decides, based on one random thought they have about you, that they wouldn't want to be your friend or they don't have anything in common with you.
I'm pretty sure that with over 7.6 billion people on the planet that this one person isn't much of a loss. Instead, focus on surrounding yourself with people who respect you for owning yourself and living by your own game plan.
Ah, one of the great ironies in life. The more you try to please everyone, the fewer people like or respect you.
You attract other pushovers, which creates very difficult relationship dynamics.
People-pleasing will make you lose sight of what you want and how important your opinions and thoughts are. Don't do this. As we've said before, no one will thank you for it, anyway.
To recap: you shouldn't give a f*ck what people think because it's a waste of time. You can't please everyone, and no one respects you for trying. Embrace the fact that no one has the number of f*cks to give that you think they do.
Now we've covered the reasons why worrying about what people think is toxic, how do you take back control and stop giving so many f*cks?
What matters to you most in life. Are you driven by money, freedom, family, or fighting for causes you believe in? Ask yourself a question–what would I do for the rest of my life if money wasn't an issue? A simple question like this provides illuminating answers.
Who matters to you the most. Most of us only have a small number of friends and family we consider ourselves "close" to. Who are they, and what do they stand for? Surrounding yourself with people who have similar values to your own will make you happier in the long run. Why? Not just because they're more likely to approve of you–instead, it's because you have intrinsic beliefs in common.
Make changes to your life which align with the goals you've discovered above. Remember–your happiness is just as important as anyone else's, and you should own what makes you unique.
What happens when you embrace "you"? You attract positive influences and people who respect you. Self-assured, confident people are naturally appealing to others, and you'll find that more of the right opportunities and contacts come your way.
Those sort-of friends you're always worrying about impressing, that person who takes you for granted, the clique who make you feel embarrassed about what inspires you–get rid of them. Now. Don't wait. Once you stop thinking and caring about fitting in with whatever they want, you'll become a happier version of yourself.
Freeing yourself from toxic influences frees up more f*cks for you to give about what matters to you. Sounds like it's worth a shot.
And if it's a family member who doesn't support you, that's a pretty simple fix too. Just talk about you and your life goals, less – or even better, not at all. Talk to them, about them. Most people like to talk about themselves anyway so just humour them and be on your way with your plans and goals in silence. Let them observe you from a distance– smash life with the people who DO support you. By the time you are moving forward and making real progress in your life, you soon won't give two f*cks about their negative opinions.
Whether you know them in real life or you simply follow them on social media accounts, surround yourself with people who reinforce how important it is to not give a f*ck about what people think. Life gets tough sometimes, and it's easy to forget what matters to you. Filling your news feed with positive energy, socialising with other self-assured people and reading uplifting books (audiobooks) will help you stay on track.
Teach you more about yourself than staying in your comfort zone ever will.
Whether you start small or go large, do something daring today. Wear that bright, bold shirt you love but haven't had the courage to wear yet. Book tickets to see that band you don't normally admit to listening to. Start a blog and share your views. Ask that hot commuter who you see every day for their number.
Maybe you'll be acting "out of character", but that's only if you've been portraying a certain identity to the outside world which isn't the real you. Acting out of character can also be a good thing–it will reveal sides of you that you never knew existed.
What's the worst that can happen, anyway? We think you already know the answer to that.
Think of all the different things you want to try and all the places you want to go to. Instead of just dreaming about them, write them all down somewhere and create a plan of action. Maybe you can't afford to travel the world right now, but what can you do instead? Writing things down will help you see what matters to you and give you something to focus on.
And when someone asks you what kind of things you're hoping to do over the next few years? Answer them honestly. If you've got a quirky hobby, a lifelong passion for something less common or you're desperate to act "out of character", own it.
Most people secretly wish they didn't care so much about what other people think. They wish they could be more like you–a strong, self-assured individual who's all out of f*cks to give. Because after all, life's too short to waste it worrying about what that guy on the train thinks of your bright orange shoes.
If there's one sure way to kick you out of your comfort zone and stop giving a damn about what people think, it's travelling alone. Some people think there's a "stigma" attached to this–if you're one of these people, that's all the more reason to give it a try. We're back to the same problem–if you worry what other people think, you're not living your best life. And no one's got time for that.
If you don't have the resources to travel far, go somewhere which won't break the bank. Plan out what you want to see and do, and go do those things. Take selfies if you want and post them online when you return–show people what a great time you had on your own.
If you can't afford travelling right now, or you can't get time off work, that's okay. There are still plenty of adventures you can have on your own.
Go to a restaurant alone–don't sit on your phone, own it!
Go see a sports game on your own.
The world's at your fingertips, folks. Don't waste the opportunities because you're scared what other people might have to say.
At the end of the day, your life is yours to live–and yours alone. By embracing your zero-f*cks-given philosophy, you'll become the best version of you…and who knows, you might even inspire others to do the same.
Bookmark this post – and next time you feel like you're holding yourself back because of what other people might think. Read it again, then go and take the action you know you need to take.
Live your best life without giving a f*ck. Good luck….